Sundargarh, May 24: A suspected food poisoning incident at a funeral feast in Odisha’s Sundargarh district has claimed four lives and left at least 17 others ill.

The incident occurred at Nuadihi village under Hemgiri block during a dashaha, a post-funeral ritual feast, where villagers had gathered to pay their respects.

Shortly after consuming the food served at the feast, several attendees reportedly began experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea. Authorities suspect that contaminated food may have caused the deaths and illnesses.

The deceased have been identified as Mangal Sai Nayak of Nuadihi village and Raibari Pradhan (50) from Hemgiri in Sundargarh district. Two other victims, Ullas Khadia (40) of Sunakhain village under Atabira panchayat and Sukanti Khadia (60), belonged to neighbouring Jharsuguda district.

Around 17 people reportedly fell sick in the incident. Ten of them are currently undergoing treatment at the Hemgiri Community Health Centre, while four critically ill patients from Jharsuguda district have been admitted to different hospitals for advanced care.

Following the tragedy, a special medical team from the Health Department reached Nuadihi village to monitor the situation and identify any additional suspected cases.

Officials are expected to collect food samples for laboratory testing, and a joint investigation by the police and Health Department is underway to determine the exact cause of the suspected food poisoning.

Meanwhile, Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling and MLA Tankadhar Tripathy have expressed grief over the deaths and extended condolences to the bereaved families, while wishing a speedy recovery to those receiving treatment.