A wedding feast turned deadly in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district, claiming the lives of two villagers and sending around 43 others to seek medical help. After attending the ceremony last Friday, attendees fell ill with severe symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting soon after.
Health officials acted swiftly, setting up medical camps in four villages near Kullanchavadi to handle the sudden influx of patients. To prevent further illness, they cleaned drinking water tanks in affected villages and provided chlorinated water through local authorities.
The situation worsened the next day as more villagers fell sick and sought treatment at nearby health centers and hospitals. Some were referred to the Government General Hospital in Cuddalore for advanced care.
Among the victims were Thiruvengadam, 65, and V Narayanasamy, 55, both from Puliyur, who passed away on Sunday and Monday. Officials noted that Thiruvengadam’s existing health issues worsened his condition, but credited the prompt response of medical teams for controlling the situation.
Responding to the crisis, Cuddalore Collector A Arun Thamburaj instructed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to investigate the outbreak’s cause and take preventive measures to protect public health.