13-Year-Old Boy Dies During Treatment in Cuttack

A tragic incident has been reported from Kupuni village under Pattamundai Rural Police Station limits in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, where suspected food poisoning after consuming watermelon has left one person dead and four others critically ill.

According to reports, 13-year-old Swadhin Senapati died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Cuttack. Four other family members are still battling for recovery.

Family Fell Ill After Eating Watermelon

Sources said Malay Senapati of Kupuni village had purchased around four kilograms of watermelon from Gandakhia market and brought it home for his family.

After consuming the fruit, several family members complained of severe stomach pain. Soon afterwards, they began suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, leading to panic in the household.

A total of five members of the family reportedly fell seriously ill.

Two Shifted to Cuttack as Condition Worsened

As their health condition deteriorated, Babruvahan Senapati and Swadhin Senapati were shifted to a hospital in Cuttack for advanced treatment.

However, despite medical efforts, Swadhin succumbed during treatment. The condition of the remaining affected family members is said to be critical.

Local authorities are expected to investigate whether the watermelon was contaminated or chemically treated.

Similar Incident Reported Earlier in Mumbai

The Odisha tragedy has drawn comparisons with a similar suspected food poisoning case reported recently from Mumbai’s Paidhuni area.

According to reports, the incident took place on the night of April 25 when a family had dinner along with five relatives. Everything appeared normal during the gathering.

Later at night, around 1 AM to 1:30 AM, four members of the family consumed watermelon. Within hours, all of them reportedly developed severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

Victims Could Not Be Saved Despite Treatment

The affected persons were first taken to a local doctor and later referred to Mumbai’s JJ Hospital after their condition worsened rapidly.

Despite repeated medical intervention, all four victims reportedly died.

Before death, one of the family members informed police that they had consumed biryani first and later ate watermelon, raising suspicion of food poisoning.

Investigation Underway

Police officials in the Mumbai case had stated that the exact cause of death would only be confirmed after postmortem and histopathology reports.

Similarly, in the Kendrapara incident, health officials and police are expected to conduct a detailed investigation to determine whether contaminated food, chemical residues, or other toxic substances caused the tragedy.