The sudden outbreak led to a rush of patients to the medical college, with nearly 100 people reportedly affected.
LUCKNOW: Nearly 100 people, including a large number of children, women and elderly residents, fell ill after allegedly consuming contaminated pani puri and tikki sold by a street vendor in two villages of Siddharthnagar district. The incident was reported from Pedari and Kalnakhor villages under Khesraha police station limits, triggering panic among residents.
The affected people complained of vomiting and diarrhoea within a few hours of consuming the street food. As their condition deteriorated, family members rushed them to Madhav Prasad Tripathi Medical College in Siddharthnagar, where they were admitted and are undergoing treatment.
According to preliminary information, a street vendor selling pani puri and tikki had visited the villages on Friday evening. Several villagers, including children and elderly people, purchased and consumed the food. However, within hours, people from multiple families started experiencing symptoms of food poisoning, including vomiting and loose motions. The sudden outbreak led to a rush of patients to the medical college, with nearly 100 people reportedly affected.
A villager, Yogendra, said several people in the locality fell ill after consuming food purchased from the vendor. The situation worsened as more residents began reporting similar symptoms.
Ashish Maurya, whose sister was among those affected, said she had eaten pani puri from the street vendor on Friday evening. She suddenly developed vomiting and diarrhoea during the night, following which the family rushed her to the medical college. “Her condition deteriorated suddenly after she complained of vomiting and loose motions. We immediately brought her to the medical college. She is feeling better now, but her treatment is continuing,” he said.
Another victim, Chandni, said she had also consumed pani puri from the vendor and subsequently fell ill. She is currently admitted to the hospital and receiving treatment.
Vijay Kumar, another affected resident, said he developed vomiting and loose motions shortly after returning home following his evening meal of pani puri. He subsequently reached the medical college for treatment and has experienced some relief.
Dr Bilal Ahmed, who is posted in the emergency ward of Siddharthnagar Medical College, said patients from villages under Khesraha police station had been brought to the hospital after consuming pani puri and tikki. According to him, around 35 to 36 children were among those admitted to the medical college. Three children were initially in a critical condition, but their health improved following treatment and they are now stable. All the patients are being treated and kept under medical observation.
Dr Ahmed said the exact cause of the food poisoning was yet to be established. Investigations would be required to determine whether the contamination originated from the water used in preparing pani puri or the chickpea-based filling and other ingredients.
Taking cognisance of the incident, Siddharthnagar Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Sanjay Dohre visited the affected villages and took stock of the situation. He said health department teams had been deployed immediately after receiving information about the outbreak.
According to the CMO, preliminary information suggested that the street vendor might have served residents leftover boiled potatoes and other food ingredients from the previous night. Their consumption is suspected to have triggered the outbreak, although the actual cause is yet to be confirmed. He said the health department had mobilised medical teams in the morning to identify affected residents and provide treatment.
Patients whose condition was relatively serious were referred to Siddharthnagar Medical College for specialised care. The CMO clarified that no deaths had been reported so far and that all affected patients were being closely monitored.
Medical teams from Khesraha Community Health Centre (CHC) and the Uska Bazar area, along with other health department personnel, have been deployed in the affected villages to provide medical assistance. Dohre said the situation was currently under control, with the health department maintaining surveillance over the affected population.
Meanwhile, medical teams at the medical college and health department personnel stationed in the villages are continuing treatment and monitoring of the affected residents.
The incident has triggered concern among villagers, particularly as nearly 100 people from two villages reportedly developed similar symptoms after consuming food purchased from the same street vendor. While preliminary inputs have pointed towards the possible use of leftover food ingredients, officials said the precise source of contamination would be established only after an investigation. The health department is monitoring the situation to prevent further cases and ensure that all affected residents receive timely medical attention.
