A five-year-old girl and a priest at a temple died and more than 50 people reported sick on Friday after consuming ‘Panaka’, a lemonade made with jaggery, distributed at a temple of Valmiki Nagar in Chamarajpet, the previous day, on the occasion of Rama Navami.
Ganga, daughter of Balamurugan, a painter of Bande Gudisalu, Valmiki Nagar and Krishna Murthy, 45, were the dead. Murthy, the priest at the temple, who too partook the lemonade, was admitted to Jayadeva hospital and died on Saturday evening. The police are find out if Murthy died because of consuming the lemonade or because of cardiac arrest, as he had a history of heart-related ailments.
Local residents claimed that ‘Panaka’, a popular summer drink, distributed at Muttu Maramma temple in Valmiki Nagar on Friday was not hygienic and they suffered symptoms of food poisoning after consuming it. Along with the lemonade, butter milk and dal were also served.
Ganga, who was among those consuming the lemonade, began having bouts of nausea on Friday night.
When the retching showed no signs of abating, Ganga's parents took her to a private hospital nearby where she was given treatment and sent home. After reaching home again Ganga had bouts of retching again, but her parents thought she would be well after some time as she had been treated at the hospital.
But, around 10am, with her body was going cold, Balamurugan and his wife realised the seriousness of the situation and rushed her to hospital, but she was declared brought dead.
More than 30 children, 15 women, and 10 men who showed similar symptoms were treated at different hospitals and many were admitted as in-patients. More than 15 children were treated in Vani Villas hospital while few in Victoria and KIMS and few private hospitals. Doctors said the people were complaining of vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.
Dr Asha Benakappa of Vani Villas hospital told dna: "Twenty patients were brought in, 13 were admitted and seven were kept under observation. From noon to 2-3 pm, patients kept trickling in. Those admitted to hospital have stabilised. They are under medication and served routine food."
Police said all the people who reported sick had consumed 'Panaka' in the temple which was stored in plastic drums and served in plastic cups, from noon on Friday till 4 pm in the evening.
Around 150 residents of the area partook the lemonade, butter milk and dal to beat the heat of the summer.
Syed Akmal, a businessman and social worker of Valmiki Nagar, said: "In the early hours on Saturday, many people in the area especially children and women were complaining of vomit and diarrhoea. We noticed the situation was turning into a crisis. I immediately called auto-rickshaws and made arrangements to rush the sick to the hospitals."
When the number of people who fell sick began rising, around five ambulances rushed them to hospitals. Even tempos and luggage auto rickshaws were pressed into service.
It was a heartrending scene at the ward of the Victoria hospital accommodating the lemonade victims. On one of the beds lay writhing in pain 10-year-old Farheen Taj, daughter of Ajaz Ahmed who sells readymade clothes at the footpaths of KR Market.
On another lay a pale, moaning, Umesh, a labourer. "I along with my six family members consumed the lemonade and buttermilk at the temple. Later in the night, all of us began retching and rushed to the hospital.
Sarojamma said: "My three granddaughters, Nandini, 17, Kokila, 18, Nalini, 16, fell sick after consuming the 'Panaka'. All were treated at a private hospital and they returned to home."
The Chamarajpet police have registered a case of negligence against Palani, the manager of the temple, who is absconding since Saturday morning. Palani had arranged the cooks to prepare the lemonade and butter milk. "We visited Palani's house, but his wife told his he is out for some other district and she would send him to police station after he return home," said a police officer.
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