Cuttack: 18 Children Fall Ill After Eating Ice Cream at Religious Festival

Cuttack, Odisha – Panic gripped Kumusara village in Banki tehsil after 18 children fell ill on Sunday evening following the consumption of ice cream during the Astaprahari festival.

According to reports, the children complained of uneasiness and irritation in the mouth shortly after eating the ice cream. Alarmed villagers rushed them to the Banki sub-divisional hospital, where doctors provided immediate treatment.

Medical authorities confirmed that the condition of the children was not serious.

They were administered B-complex medicines and curd, with doctors assuring that full recovery would occur within 6–12 hours.

Preliminary suspicion points to contamination in the ice cream, which may have caused infection and inflammation of the tongue.

Doctors cautioned that such unhygienic food could potentially lead to gastroenteritis or typhoid if consumed in larger quantities.

Meanwhile, villagers detained the ice-cream vendor and informed the police

Samples have been collected for laboratory testing to confirm the cause of contamination.

The incident has raised concerns about food safety during community festivals, highlighting the need for stricter monitoring of vendors at religious and public gatherings.