Mid-day

Mumbai, May 10: Sixty-two employees of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) have fallen ill after having lunch at their office canteen in Prabhadevi on Tuesday.

Sixteen have been admitted to Lilavati Hospital, while the others are recuperating at Hinduja. Nine of the patients admitted to Lilavati were critical.

During lunch yesterday, one of the employees treated his colleagues to aloo paratha, mango panna and lassi, a special meal, on the menu. But after having food, they felt uneasy and started vomiting.

The management admitted the victims to hospital immediately.

“All the patients are out of danger and some of them were given emergency treatment. We are constantly monitoring their condition,” said a medical officer at Lilavati.   

VSNL employee Bipin Tiwari, who was initially admitted to the ICCU at Lilavati, said, “I had only two aloo parathas, I don’t know how it happened. But, I’m much better now.”

Another victim at the hospital’s ICCU unit said he only consumed lassi and started vomiting.

A senior doctor at Lilavati added, “It seems there was no problem with the regular food. Only those who ate the special meal were affected, but we are probing the precise reason of food poisoning.”