3 children die of suspected food poisoning in Raigad

Three children died and at least 40 people were hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning after they had a meal at a function in Maharashtra's Raigad district, the police said today.

A person, identified as Subhash Mane, had organised a house-warming party at Mahad village in Khalapur area last evening, Raigad Superintendent of Police Anil Paraskar told PTI.

After having dinner at his place, some of the guests complained of uneasiness and started vomiting. They were taken to a local hospital, he said.

But later, more than 50 people, including children, arrived at the hospital with the same complaint. Some of them were even unconscious, another police official said.

As their health condition deteriorated, all the victims were shifted to various hospitals in Raigad, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai, he said.

Three children -- Kalyani Shingude (7), Rishikesh Shinde (12) and Pragati Shinde (13) - were declared dead before admission in one of the hospitals, the police official said.

Nearly 40 people, including children, were still being treated in 11 hospitals. Of them five are stated to be in a critical condition, he said.

"We have registered a case and will send the samples of the food served at the dinner to a forensic science laboratory and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for analysis," the official said.