Girl dies from food poisoning after eating Shawarma; 15 others hospitalised

A 16-year-old girl has died from food poisoning after eating Shawarma at Kasargod in Kerala, while over 15 others have been hospitalised.

Devananda, 16, of Cheruvathur died on Sunday, after eating Shawarma from a bakery in the locality on Friday. She developed uneasiness on Saturday and was hospitalised. But her condition worsened and she was pronounced dead by Sunday morning.

Around 15 others from the locality, mainly youngsters, were also hospitalised with fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. All were shifted to the district government hospital, and their condition was reported to be stable.

District medical officials said that all those who turned up for treatment had consumed Shawarma from the same shop on the same day. Hence food poisoning from Shawarma has been strongly suspected.

The Food Safety Authorities and the police initiated action against the shop owners. Samples were collected from the shop for examination. The shop was allegedly functioning without proper permission. The Chandera police registered a case under various sections of IPC against the shop owner and staff in charge. No persons were arrested till Sunday evening.

There have been several such instances in the past where food poisoning from Shawarma were reported in Kerala. Subsequent, the Arabian dish lost its demand for a while, but has again gained popularity in the state.

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