Dhupdhara, May 12: The suspected case of food poisoning in post-funeral service feast in Mariampur village has claimed the life of one woman and left over 100 villagers hospitalized in Goalpara district.

The deceased has been identified as Renubala Sangma, aged 52, who attended a funeral in Mariampur village, a Garo village located in Assam bordering Adokgre in North Garo Hills.

The same funeral service was also attended by several other villagers from Adokgre and Kharkutta in North Garo Hills and Nongladaw village in Ri Bhoi, and inevitably around 160 from Garo Hills and about 40 in Ri Bhoi are admitted to various hospitals in the state.

Patients reported eating fish at the feast before falling ill.

According to Assam Joint Director (Health), Paresh Kalita, more than 100 villagers have been admitted to various hospitals, including BIkali Model Hospital, Ranjuli Hospital, Dudhnai Hospital, and Goalpara Civil Hospital.

A villager from the same village filed an FIR at Dhupdhara Police Station, and the police have registered a case under Section 328 IPC and started an investigation. The police have collected items and evidence and sent them to the forensic laboratory to identify the reason behind the food poisoning.

MLA Dudhnai Constituency Jadob Swargiary met the patients and requested medical staff to provide all medical assistance for their recovery. Additionally, the Garo National Council (GNC), Garo Youth Council (GYC), and Garo Woman Council (GWC), Assam zone, expressed their condolences and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprit as per the law of the land. They have also demanded a high-level inquiry to identify the culprit and the cause of the incident.

Kapil Rabha, a guardian of a school, whose son also attended the prayer program, said that his son ate fried fish but did not fall ill, while his friend who ate fish curry is currently admitted in the hospital.