Devotees fall sick after consuming flavoured milk during local deity festival in Andhra Pradesh

VISAKHAPATNAM: Consumption of chilled Badam Milk (a flavoured milk) to beat the hot weather condition during the local deity festival at Singupuram village in Srikakulam district took a distressing turn as some devotees, including some children, fell ill and some of them were hospitalized.The incident took place during the Kondamma Thalli Utsavams in Singupuram village on April 1 and 2 when the devotees consumed the flavoured milk from the vendors. The incident triggered a swift medical and administrative response after attendees began reporting symptoms (vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea) of food poisoning.Though the officials are yet to establish the exact number of people who fell sick in the incident, Srikakulam district collector Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar said 18 cases have been reported to the Singupuram Primary Health Centre (PHC). All patients are undergoing treatment and their condition is stable, he added.As the incident created panic and rumours that many people fell sick, the Srikakulam district police have formed a special team to identify the flavoured milk vendors during the festival. The police have already taken three flavoured milk vendors into their custody for interrogation.The medical and health department officials observed that the illness was caused by the sale of sub-standard beverages during the festival. The officials said they will initiate stringent action against the vendors if they were found responsible for the suspected food poisoning The locals said some vendors set up mobile badam milk stalls during the festivals and sold each drink at Rs 40. The devotees consumed the flavoured milk to beat the heat on April 2. After consuming the flavoured milk some of the devotees began experiencing vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fever.In response to the illnesses, the district administration dispatched a special medical team to monitor the victims and ensure they received high-quality care. The locals demanded stringent action against the vendors for selling the contaminated flavoured milk.