The exact cause behind the death of the four persons was being investigated, police said (File)
Four persons died and around a dozen others were hospitalised in a suspected case of food poisoning at a religious function in a village in the tribal-dominated Dahod district of Gujarat on Monday, police said.
The condition of two of those hospitalised is critical and they are under treatment at a hospital in Devgadh Baria town, police officials said.
The officials said the deaths were likely caused due to food poisoning or after residents consumed some locally brewed drink at the traditional religious function of tribals held at Bhulvan village.
The exact cause behind the death of the four persons was being investigated, they said.
Officials from the health department rushed to the village and collected samples of food items consumed by the villagers and sent them for laboratory examination.
The incident occurred at the traditional "Jatar" ceremony where prayers were offered to a local deity, which was followed by feasting on the concluding day of a mass gathering, an official of the Devgadh Baria police station said.
The bodies of the dead persons were sent for postmortem, he added.