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Mumbai: A Saturday nighttime feast turned tragic erstwhile 4 members of a household - 2 sisters and their parents - died wrong hours of eating a watermelon. While 5 different relatives had shared biryani-pulao with them astatine 10.30pm, and reported nary symptoms, the effect was consumed lone by the 4 astir 1am Sunday, said police. The deceased Bhendi Bazaar residents are Abdulla Dodakia (44), who owned a mobile telephone accessories store successful Andheri, his woman Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zainab (12). Doctors astatine JJ Hospital, wherever 3 of the victims received treatment, are conscionable arsenic puzzled. They said it is "very unlikely" that a stale watermelon could origin 4 deaths astatine specified adjacent intervals and that each aesculapian efforts would neglect to prevention them.
The spate of deaths began astir 10.30am with Zainab, past Nasreen 3 hours later, Ayesha astir 5.15pm and Abdulla astir 10.15pm.
Doctors puzzled
A doc progressive successful their attraction astatine JJ Hospital said the 3 had symptoms emblematic of nutrient poisoning and their kidneys were severely impacted. JJ Marg constabulary person registered 4 cases of accidental deaths, with probe ongoing. They said Abullah's member and different relatives unrecorded adjacent by and each had near for their houses soon aft the feast.
"The statements of Abdullah and Ayesha were recorded. They said they experienced vomiting and diarrhoea aft eating the watermelon.
No foul play is suspected arsenic of now. Postmortem and forensic reports are awaited," said a constabulary officer. Samples of the watermelon person been sent for testing. Both sisters were waiting for their exam results; Ayesha was expected to wide Class X with flying colours, and Zainab was each acceptable to articulation Class IX, constabulary said.
Between 5am and 5.30am Sunday, each 4 started reporting symptoms of vomiting with terrible discomfort. The household lived connected the 2nd level of Mughal Building successful Ghati Gali. Chaos erupted connected their level betwixt 9.30am to 10am Sunday, prompting neighbours to telephone successful fourth-floor homeopath, Zaid Qureshi, who said Zainab had froth successful her rima and her pulse could not beryllium detected, and the different 3 household members were semi-conscious.
TOI attempted to scope him to nary avail till property time. One aft the other, neighbours took the household members to hospital. They were taken to Saboo Siddique Hospital wherever Zainab was declared dead. Abdulla and Nasreen were transferred to JJ Hospital, followed by Ayesha. Dr Sanjay Surase, aesculapian superintendent astatine the hospital, said, "It' is precise improbable a stale watermelon tin beryllium this fatal. There could beryllium immoderate additives oregon thing other altogether. At this point, we are not ruling retired immoderate possibility.
" Nasreen died 2 hours aft admission. Ayesha was shifted to ICU followed by her father. They died astir 5 hours apart. (With inputs from Rachael Varghese)
