300 taken ill after having food at religious gathering

Tamluk (West Bengal): Around 300 people were taken ill after consuming food at a religious gathering in the Gopalpur village under the limits of Kolaghat police station in East Midnapore district, the police said.

A religious congregation was underway in the village and a community feast was organised to mark the occasion, a senior officer of Tamluk police station said.

"Around 600 people had gathered for the ceremony and after consuming food, around 300 fell ill. They started vomiting and complained of stomach ache," the officer said.

The sick were rushed to Tamluk sub-divisional hospital and Kolaghat hospital for treatment.

"60 people are undergoing treatment at Tamluk and 12 others at Kolaghat. The rest were released after initial treatment," the officer added.