Five-year-old girl dies after family falls ill following restaurant meal in Surat

Key points

• The family of Ashok Kalsaria, residents of Varachha, had ordered Punjabi dishes, including cashew paneer sabji, from Sheetal Restaurant on…
• Ashok’s cousin Bhaveshbhai Kalsaria said the first symptoms appeared around 4 am on August 16.
• The girl’s body has been sent for a panel postmortem to determine the cause of death.
• AHMEDABAD: A five-year-old girl died and four members of her family were hospitalised after allegedly falling ill after consuming food…

AHMEDABAD: A five-year-old girl died and four members of her family were hospitalised after allegedly falling ill after consuming food ordered from a restaurant in Surat’s Varachha area.

The family of Ashok Kalsaria, residents of Varachha, had ordered Punjabi dishes, including cashew paneer sabji, from Sheetal Restaurant on the night of August 15, according to relatives. Within hours, five family members developed severe health complications.

Ashok’s cousin Bhaveshbhai Kalsaria said the first symptoms appeared around 4 am on August 16. “At around 4 am, Ashok and one of his daughters began experiencing unbearable stomach pain. They were taken to a local clinic, where medicines were given around 9 am, but their condition did not improve,” Bhavesh said.

By afternoon, other family members also fell ill and were taken to a hospital, where doctors began emergency treatment. The five-year-old girl died within around 15 to 20 minutes of being brought to the emergency department on the night of August 17, according to the family.

Ashok, his wife and their two other daughters remain under treatment. The family said medical reports of the four patients indicated food poisoning.

The girl’s body has been sent for a panel postmortem to determine the cause of death. The findings will help establish whether suspected food poisoning was responsible for the death.

The family has sought an impartial investigation and urged police and senior authorities to examine the food supplied by the restaurant and take appropriate action if any lapse in food safety or negligence is established.