6 dead, 110 hospitalised due to suspected water contamination at temple fair in Tumakuru

The water samples collected and tested found that several villages among 2,000 villages in the district have positive water contamination at some level. This has been brought to the notice of the district administration to look into and take immediate measures.

Contamination of water during a temple fair in Tumakuru district is believed to led to the death of left six persons, including a 3-year-old child, and hospitalisation of at least 110 persons. Tumakuru district police have initiated the probe to ascertain the cause of contamination.

While some of those hospitalised have recovered and were discharged, many of them are still under treatment.

The victims allegedly took ill after consuming contaminated water during a temple fair at Chinne Halli village near Midigeshi in Madhugiri on June 9. Several people complained of diarrhea and vomiting and were admitted to hospital.

Since then till June 13, six people from different villages who had come to the fair have died. Many of them are senior citizens and one of them, a 90-year-old woman victim who succumbed due to comorbidities. She had not attended the fair, a senior police officer said.

Probe to trace the source of contamination..

The district health officials and police forensic teams are jointly probing the incident to find the source of contamination. They have suspected that the ongoing pipeline work under the Jal Jeevan Mission could have been the source. However, the work had stopped a few days ago due to villagers’ request that it would disturb the fair. Even though the water overhead tanks were cleaned a few days before the fair, the incident occurred which is a cause of concern, police said. 

The water samples collected and tested found that several villages among 2000 villages in the district have positive water contamination at some level. This has been brought to the notice of the district administration to look into and take immediate measures.