Kohima: At least 43 persons in Longleng district’s Pongching village have been admitted to the district hospital after mass consumption of suspected fish poisoning.
According to the police, it received information on Friday at around 11 AM about an incident of mass food poisoning in the village, with reports that patients were admitted to the district hospital.
On receiving information, the district cops led by the Superintendent of Police (SP) visited the District Hospital (DH) Longleng to conduct a preliminary enquiry.
43 patients who were admitted to the hospital showed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, the police informed. On inquiry, the police were informed that on Thursday, the villagers had purchased fish from a local shopkeeper to take it to their fields the next day.
On Friday, locals who consumed the fish for lunch began to complain of physical illness such as diarrhea, stomachache, in the evening. The same night, these locals were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Representatives from the food safety Department and the Chamber of Commerce Longleng also visited the District Hospital, along with Police and civil administration for further action.
It was informed that samples of the cooked fish were collected, and fish from the same stock of supply was also collected from the seller.
The samples were sent to the food analyst, the State Public Health laboratory for analysis to get comprehensive testing and analysis reports.
The district police informed that statements of the doctors, locals, and the shopkeeper were recorded. The shop was also sealed by the police for further course of action.
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As the case is under investigation, the police urged the public to cooperate and refrain from any rumor mongering.
The deputy commissioner had also written to the food analysist of the State Public Health Laboratory to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the fish samples to identify any potential contaminants or harmful substances that may have attributed to the mass food poisoning.
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