Paralakhemundi: An unfortunate incident occurred at Tulasinagar village under R. Udayagiri police limits in Odisha’s Gajapati district as two girls lost their lives, and another girl and a man fell critically ill after consuming Chhatua (porridge powder) provided by an Anganwadi centre.

The deceased have been identified as Tulasi Badamundi (6) and Gunabati Badamundi (3). Meanwhile, Sumitra Badamundi (12) and her father, Arjun Badamundi (46), have been hospitalized in critical condition.

According to sources, Shiv Shankar Badamundi and his wife rushed Tulasi and Gunabati to Ramagiri Hospital around 1:30 PM on Sunday after they complained of uneasiness. Despite receiving treatment, Tulasi passed away at around 4:30 PM. Concerned by the situation, the attending doctor, Brajaraj Kar, inquired about their food intake, leading to the revelation that four family members had consumed Chhatua.

Following this, Sumitra and Arjun, who were also feeling unwell, were taken to Ramagiri Hospital for treatment.

Later, all of them were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital here. Unfortunately, Gunabati died at around 9:30 PM. Due to their critical condition, Sumitra and Arjun were shifted to Berhampur’s MKCG Hospital late at night.

Reports suggest that the family had consumed the Chhatua provided by a local Anganwadi centre on Thursday. However, it remains unclear whether the deaths were caused by food poisoning from Chhatua or not.

Meanwhile, Ramagiri police have launched an investigation into the incident.