Kendrapada: In a tragic incident, a minor died while four other members of his family were hospitalised after allegedly consuming watermelon in Odisha’s Kendrapada district.
The deceased has been identified as 13-year-old Swadhin Senapati from Kupuni village under Pattamundai block.
Sources said Swadhin, his father Panchanan Senapati and three other family members ate watermelon on Friday evening. All of them fell seriously sick at night and informed relatives nearby. They were admitted to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Pattamundai. As they showed no sign of improvement, some were rushed to District Headquarters Hospital at Kendrapada while others to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack.
According to sources, doctors declared Swadhin dead on arrival at SCB MCH, while his family members are receiving treatment.
District health officials said the family members also had dinner at home after eating watermelon. It could be food poisoning but the exact reason was yet to be ascertained, they said.
