TIRUNELVELI: The death toll in the suspected food poisoning incident at a private home for senior citizens and persons with mental health issues in Sundarapandiapuram rose to four, after one of the inmates, whose condition was critical, died at the hospital on Friday.
Around 10 inmates requiring intensive care were shifted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) from the Tenkasi District Government Headquarters Hospital (GHQH), where nearly 30 others underwent treatment.
The deceased was identified as Dhanalakshmi (80). A senior police officer said the shelter home was sealed on Thursday. The owner of the home, Rajendran, was remanded in judicial custody on Friday. “The case was initially registered under Section 194 of the BNSS. However, the charges were later modified to Sections 280 and 105 of the BNS to include Rajendran as an accused,” the police official said.
Meanwhile, the other inmates were shifted to another facility in Vadakarai. The food safety department collected food and drinking water samples on Thursday to ascertain the cause of the deaths.
An TvMCH administrator said one of the inmates, Mariammal (55), continues to be critical.