Over 20 passengers were taken ill on Sunday after consuming food aboard one of Indian Railways’ premium train, Tejas Express, that operates between Goa and Mumbai.
The Hindu reported that the passengers, admitted at Lifecare Hospital at Chiplun in Maharashtra, are all out of danger now. After a number of people started complaining of feeling queasy after eating the meals, the train was halted off course at Chiplun.
What had happened?
Nearly 290 passengers on the train were served breakfast around 12 pm, but three complained of feeling uneasy and felt like vomiting. Soon after, more passengers started complaining of similar symptoms, The Times of India reported.
While an onboard passenger, who was a doctor, attended to those complaining of nausea initially, the train had to be halted to tend to the others.
“We still do not know whether food poisoning was from veg or non-vegetarian food,” the newspaper quoted an Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) official. Of the 24 passengers, three are in the intensive care unite but officials assure they are out of danger.
IRCTC comes under fire
The catering service’s area officer of Madgaon has been suspended and a report from the fact-finding report on the food samples is awaited, Firstpost reported railway spokesperson Anil Saxena as saying.
An IRCTC statement said, “A show-cause notice has been served on the catering contractor and strict action is contemplated if found guilty.”
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