Patna, Sep 5 (IANS): At least 36 people, including women and children, were taken ill Thursday after eating 'prasad' (religious offering) at a village in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, officials said. Three are in critical condition while the others are now out of danger.

The incident took place at Paroha village under Dumra police station in Sitamarhi.

"All of them were admitted to primary health centre in Dumra for treatment," said centre in charge Shyam Sundar Prasad.

According to him, those who fell sick included 14 children, 12 women and 10 men.

"Only three of them are critical and others are out of danger," he said.

Prasad said that soon after eating the prasad, they complained of vomitting, stomach pain and other symptoms of food poisoning.

Local police officials said the incident created panic among the villagers in view of mid day meal tragedy in July in Saran district, where 23 children died after eating poisonous food in the mid dal meal scheme at a government school.