At least one child has died, and more than 60 people have fallen ill in two panchayats of Jharkhand’s Giridih district following a suspected case of food poisoning linked to the consumption of pani puri, or gupchup as it is locally known, local leaders have said.
Jitendra Verma, village head of Bajto panchayat, told The Indian Express that around 40–50 people in the panchayat reported symptoms of diarrhoea on the first day of the incident on Sunday. “Among them, a six-year-old child died,” he said. On the following day, fresh cases emerged from Palmo panchayat, where around 20 more people were taken ill and admitted to the Girdih Sadar Hospital. “Just now, we have admitted around 10 patients so far, and more are being brought in,” he added.
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Villagers alleged that all those affected had consumed pani puri sold by the same vendor, who is from Palmo panchayat. Verma claimed that although the vendor was initially detained by police, he was released later the same night.
The child who died had been brought to Giridih Sadar Hospital after his condition worsened. His father, Ram Kishor Prasad Verma, alleged serious lapses in both emergency response and hospital treatment.
“After my child fell ill, we started calling for an ambulance around 1–1.30 pm, but no one responded for a long time. The ambulance arrived only around 3 pm,” he said.
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He further alleged that even after reaching the hospital, no immediate care was provided. “For nearly one-and-a-half hours, no doctor or nurse attended to him. My child died in my lap,” Verma said, demanding strict action against the medical staff on duty.
The family has not yet filed a formal complaint, but said they intend to raise the issue with authorities. “If timely treatment had been provided, my child could have survived. I will lodge a case against the gupchup seller and also against the doctors and nurses who were present here,” the father said, blaming administrative lapses for the death.
Meanwhile, several affected patients continue to receive treatment at the hospital, with many being administered saline.
Attempts were made to contact the Civil Surgeon for an official response, but he could not be reached.
The child who died had been brought to Giridih Sadar Hospital after his condition worsened. (Photo/Canva) 
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