PTI, BENGALURU: The death toll in the food-poisoning incident at a temple in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district rose to 13 with two more deaths on Sunday, officials said.
A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against seven people from the temple management under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code. Further investigations are on, the police said.
State Health Department Joint Director Suresh Shastry said two deaths were reported at Apollo Hospital. The deceased have been identified as Mageshwari, 36, and Salamma, 35, taking the toll to 13, the official said, adding that one was critical.
The official said four patients were on ventilator at another hospital, where two of them were critical and one might need assisted ventilation.
The tragedy occurred on Friday morning at Sulavadi village where a special pooja was conducted at the Maramma Devi temple for groundbreaking ceremony.
Later, prasad was distributed and those who consumed it started complaining of stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea-like symptoms. They were rushed to hospitals in Bengaluru, Mysuru, as well as neighbouring towns.
It has also come to light that a large number of crows and some other birds, approximately 80, which consumed the poisonous prasad, died.
