Passengers in the hospital

BHUBANESWAR: Around 30 passengers of Puri-Howrah Shatabdi Express (train number 12278) allegedly fell ill after taking bread omelet in their breakfast served on board on Wednesday morning.

The train left Puri at 5.45 am. The breakfast was served at around 8 am after the train left Bhubaneswar. Initially, four passengers including a child complained of vomiting and uneasiness at Belda station in West Bengal. Most of the passengers belong to C2 coach, said a senior official of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

After getting complaint, a doctor rushed to the coach to treat the passengers. When the train reached Kharagpur station, 15 people were taken to Kharagpur railway hospital for checkup. They were released after treatment. Later 15 others reportedly complained of similar health problems, railway sources said.

The train was detained at the Kharagpur station for around one hour. Some of the passengers agitated against IRCTC for serving substandard food on board. “I felt uneasy after having the breakfast. A kid near my berth started vomiting,” said a passenger.

Debashish Chandra, head of IRCTC’s eastern zone, said the food samples have been sent for testing. “Only 15 persons were admitted to Kharagpur railway hospital for treatment. We have served breakfast to more than 500 passengers, but a few among them complained of illness. We can know the exact reason behind the food poisoning after getting test report,” he added.

