Kerala girl dies, 18 others hospitalised after consuming shawarma at Kasaragod restaurant

Kasargod, Kerala: A 16-year-old girl died while 18 other students were hospitalised after consuming shawarma at an eatery in Cheruvathoor town in Kasaragod district of Kerala on Sunday.

Devananda, a resident of Karivallor near Kasargod, died at the Kanhangad district hospital while undergoing treatment, police said.

The girl along with her friends had eaten chicken shawarma from the restaurant in Cheruvathoor on Friday. Later, they started suffering from fever, diarrhea, and vomiting and were admitted to the hospital.

After receiving the report about the incident, the health department carried out an inspection and confirmed that the girl died of food poisoning.

A case has also been registered against the juice shop, which has been sealed following investigations.

Following the incident, the manager, Anas of Ullal, and worker Sandesh Rai, a native of Nepal, of the eatery were arrested by the Chandera Police on Sunday evening.

The owner of the eatery is abroad, the police said.

District Medical Officer AV Ramdas said 18 students have been admitted to the district hospital after they fell sick, but none of them are in serious condition.

"We are expecting more cases and have asked doctors and staff from other nearby medical institutions to be present at the Cheruvathur PHC and Neeleswaram Taluk hospitals. We plan to treat people with mild issues there and those with serious conditions will be shifted to the district hospital," Mr. Ramdas told the media.

Meanwhile, Minister MV Govindan visited the students undergoing treatment at the hospital and said the government will ensure that quality food is served in hotels across the state.

"The government will conduct inspections across the state to ensure that the food served at restaurants is of good quality," the minister said.

According to sources, the juice shop was situated near a Tuition centre.