KENDRAPARA: Around 120 people including 40 children and women fell ill after consuming prasad that allegedly contained a dead snake during a religious event at a temple in Nuagaon village under Pattamundai police limits here on Wednesday night.
The incident came to light when some devotees, who were eating the prasad comprising rice and dalma, noticed a dead snake in the food and panicked. The food was prepared by villagers for around 400 people as part of a ‘Bhagabata Katha’ programme at the local temple. Locals suspect the snake may have accidentally fallen into the cooking vessel and gone unnoticed. “It was only during serving that some people spotted the dead snake in the dalma,” said Bibhuti Das (52), a villager.
Another villager, Nagendra Mallick (54), said after consuming the food, many started feeling uneasy, especially after learning about the presence of a dead snake in the dalma.
Basanti Mallick (60) said many had already eaten the food before the discovery. “Once the snake was found, people immediately stopped eating, but by then several devotees had already consumed the prasad,” she added.
The villagers then rushed to the hospital. However, doctors said no clear symptoms of food poisoning were detected. Medical officer of Pattamundai sub-divisional hospital Dr Nirakar Parida said, “We examined the people who came in and did not find any sign of food poisoning. Many reported uneasiness and vomiting, likely triggered after they came to know about the snake in the food.”
A medical team was sent to the village on Thursday morning as a precautionary measure to monitor the health of those who had consumed the food. Kendrapara chief district medical officer Dr Manoranjan Rout said, “Villagers panicked after spotting the dead snake in the dalma. I spoke to the medical officer in Pattamundai, who confirmed that all those affected are currently stable.”