Boy dies, 18 hospitalised after eating pani-puri at roadside stall in Jharkhand

A visit to a roadside pani puri shop in Jharkhand's Giridih turned fatal, with one child dead in a suspected food poisoning case and several others admitted to hospital after severe bouts of vomiting. The pani-puri seller is on the run.

In Short

• Most patients were children who developed fever, vomiting and severe diarrhoea
• Villagers said everyone had eaten panipuri bought from one roadside vendor
• Symptoms worsened overnight, prompting residents to rush patients to hospital

A six-year-old boy died and 18 people, most of them children, fell ill due to suspected food poisoning after allegedly eating pani-puri at a roadside stall in Jharkhand’s Giridih, police said. All of them developed high fever, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea, and were taken to Sadar Hospital for treatment.

The incident took place in Bajto village under the Muffasil police station area on Saturday. The administration and health department have launched an investigation into the suspected food poisoning case.

According to villagers, all of them had eaten pani-puri from the same vendor, who was selling it door to door. Several people began to feel unwell during the night, and by Sunday morning their fever and stomach pain had worsened sharply. As their condition deteriorated, villagers took the patients to Sadar Hospital one after another.

The 6-year-old boy died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. His death left the family grieving and the village in mourning. The other patients have been admitted and are under treatment, with doctors closely monitoring their condition.

After the incident, local police and administrative officials visited the hospital, spoke to patients, reviewed treatment arrangements, and ordered an inquiry.

Officials suspect food poisoning. The vendor, a resident of Palmo, is absconding. Civil Surgeon Dr Bachcha Prasad Singh said people fell ill after eating the pani-puri. He added that the condition of the 18 patients is stable, and the exact cause will be confirmed after investigation reports are received.

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Inputs from Satyajit