An investigation is underway in Mumbai after four family members died following suspected food poisoning from watermelon, prompting authorities to search for the source of the contaminated fruit.
Key Points
- Four members of a Mumbai family died after experiencing severe vomiting and diarrhoea.
- The family consumed watermelon hours before falling ill, prompting an investigation into the fruit's potential role.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is trying to locate watermelon vendors in the area to check for affected lots.
- Samples of chicken pulao and watermelon were collected from the family's home for testing.
- Police are awaiting forensic reports and investigating other potential causes, including the possibility of suicide.
The Food and Drug Administration team probing the cause of death of four members of a family in south Mumbai's JJ Marg area have not been able to zero in on any watermelon vendor in the vicinity to check if the fruit had a role to play in the ill-fated incident, an official said on Thursday.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25.
At around 1 am, hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
FDA Investigates Potential Food Poisoning
"The FDA team visited the house of Dokadia and collected samples of chicken pulao and watermelon pieces. After two days, the leftover chicken pulao had developed fungus growth. The team also tried to locate watermelon vendors to check for any affected lots," he said.
But no vendors were found in the area for the past two days, preventing the FDA team from getting samples, the official added.
Forensic Reports Awaited in Mumbai Family Death Case
The FDA has requested the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to share the report on the food samples collected by them, he added.
A senior Mumbai police official said the force is waiting for FSL reports in the case, adding that questions on presence of sedatives etc in the fruit could be answered only then.
The statements of the kin of the deceased are being recorded to ascertain if it is a case of mass suicide, and it is being checked if the Dokadia family were in debt or distressed over some issue, the police official said.
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