CHENNAI: The death toll in the food poisoning incident at an old-age home in Tenkasi rose to six on Monday, according to a Daily Thanthi report.
Last week, eleven of the 58 inmates at Annai Old Age Home in Sundarapandiapuram, run under the Social Welfare Department, were hospitalised with vomiting and diarrhoea after a meal. Five of them – T Sankar Ganesh (48), Murugammal (55), Ambika (40), Muppudathi (54), and Dhanalakshmi (60) – passed away. One more inmate died on Monday.
Tenkasi Deputy Director of Health Services V Govindan said the victims had consumed non-vegetarian food on Sunday.
Samples of food, vomit, and stool were collected for lab testing to determine the cause. The Food Safety Department has also lifted raw and cooked food samples. Other inmates were screened as a precaution.
District Social Welfare Officer (in-charge) Z Tajunisha said not all who ate the rice and mutton gravy fell sick, and that two of the deceased had pre-existing conditions. The exact cause of death will be known after lab results.
Police have arrested Rajendran, who was in charge of the home. The other affected inmates are being treated at Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital.