3 Die, 12 Fall Ill After Drinking Contaminated Water In Rajasthan

Three inmates of a shelter home for destitute died and 12 others fell ill in Kota possibly after drinking contaminated water, an official said on Monday.

The condition of the inmates at the NGO-run Apna Ghar deteriorated Sunday night after which they were rushed to a hospital. The dead included two women. Prima facie, food poisoning caused by drinking water from the borewell in the shelter home is the reason behind it, said Kota Collector O P Bunker.

Samples of the cooked food and water from the borewell were collected for examination to ascertain the actual reason, he said. The officer, however, added that food arrangements and accommodation were found satisfactory at the shelter home. The dead were identified as Dilip (50), Munnibai (45) and Sudevi (35). All three had been residing in the shelter home for the past three to five years, said an official at the shelter home.

The 12 others who fell ill are aged between 23 and 40, and are undergoing treatment at New Medical College Hospital and their condition is stable.

Over 300 people, including 270 inmates, were present at the shelter home on Sunday night and all consumed the same food and drank the same water, said Manoj Jain, secretary of the shelter home.

Since the destitute are brought from the roadside and hospitals to the shelter home, most have poor health, he said, adding around 15-20 of the inmates with health complications are daily sent to a hospital.

Some inmates complained of vomiting and dysentery on Sunday night following which they were rushed to New Medical College Hospital, where three of them died, Mr Jain said.

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