16 passengers on board Duronto taken ill after eating food

The non-stop train,which left Nizamuddin station on Saturday night,made an unscheduled stoppage here at 11.42 AM when passengers including some children,complained of vomiting and diarrhoea after eating breakfast in the train.

The passengers alleged that the train did not have drinking water facility despite similar complaints in the past. They also alleged laxity by the railways in providing basic medical treatment and accused the Duty Doctor of adopting a “casual approach”.

An Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) official in Delhi said they have sent food samples for examination to ascertain whether passengers fell ill after consuming the food.

Managing Director of the Corporation Rakesh Tandon said dehydration due to heat was also not being ruled out.

Most of those taken ill were travelling in non-AC coaches.

He,however,claimed said the doctors immediately attended to the passengers.

Minister of State for Railways E Ahmed,who was in the city,visited the patients at the hospital. Local Congress MP M K Raghavan also met the affected passengers.

Activists of pro-CPI (M) Democratic Youth Federation of India and BJP’s youth wing BJYM staged a protest at the railway station and met Ahmed demanding stringent action against the ‘guilty’ railway officials.

The train resumed its onward journey at 2.20 PM after a hold up of over two hours amid chaotic scenes at the railway station.