At least four individuals have died and more than 50 others have fallen ill after attending a post-death ritual feast in Nuadihi village, located within the Hemgir police jurisdiction of Sundargarh district, which took place on Thursday.
Food poisoning is suspected to be the primary cause of the widespread illness; however, authorities are also investigating a potential cholera outbreak, as the host of the feast had reportedly been suffering from a diarrheal infection prior to the event. Health officials are collecting stool samples from the affected villagers to determine the exact cause of the illness.
Among the deceased, two were residents of Nuadihi village, while the other two hailed from Sunakhaen village in the Lakhanpur block of Jharsuguda district. Four individuals from Sunakhaen have also been hospitalized with severe symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.
Sundargarh district health officials reported that a 50-year-old woman, Raibari Pradhan, was admitted to the Hemgir community health center on Saturday evening but died within an hour. Another villager, Mangal Singh Naik, also 50, passed away during treatment at VIMSAR, Burla on Sunday morning.
The victims from Sunakhaen village have been identified as Ullas Khadia, aged 41, and Sukanti Khadia, aged 65. Dr. Shashi Shekhar Seth, the chief district medical officer of Jharsuguda, indicated that four critically ill patients, including Ullas and Sukanti Khadia, were admitted to the district headquarters hospital around midnight on Saturday. Ullas’ condition worsened, leading to his transfer to VIMSAR, Burla, where he later died. Sukanti passed away at the district headquarters hospital around 5:30 am on Sunday.
