Daijiworld Media Network - Palamu

Palamu, Mar 13: More than 100 villagers reportedly fell ill after a suspected food poisoning incident at a wedding feast in Bohita village of the Palamu district, officials said on Thursday.

The incident occurred in Bohita village under the Satbarwa block, triggering panic among residents. In response, the district administration set up a temporary medical camp at the village school to treat the affected individuals.

According to officials, around 10 people are in critical condition and have been referred to Medininagar Medical College and Hospital and the Community Health Centre Lesliganj for advanced treatment.

Local residents said Harishankar Chandravanshi had hosted a community feast on Wednesday evening ahead of the wedding of his son, Lavkush Sharma. The menu reportedly included puris, vegetables and boondi.

Within hours of eating the food, several villagers began experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness and severe stomach pain. By Thursday morning, cases of illness were reported from multiple households across the village.

A resident, Sudeshwar Singh, said many people felt sudden weakness and dizziness while heading to the fields in the morning, and the number of affected villagers quickly crossed 100.

As the number of patients surged, the health department converted a primary school in Pokharpar Tola into a temporary treatment centre. Due to limited beds, many patients were treated with saline while lying on mats placed along the school veranda.

The civil surgeon of Palamu, Dr Anil Kumar Srivastava, visited the village with a team of health officials to supervise the response. He directed that critically ill patients be shifted immediately to nearby hospitals while others receive treatment at the temporary camp.

Authorities have deployed four ambulances in the area to handle emergencies. Officials said the incident appears to be a case of food poisoning, but the exact cause will only be confirmed after laboratory testing of food samples. A medical team remains stationed in the village to monitor the situation closely.