Mumbai family of 4 dies after eating watermelon
The family had served chicken pulav at a family get-together before later eating watermelon at night; hours later, all four fell critically ill
A family of four died in Mumbai in a suspected case of food poisoning after consuming watermelon, police said on Monday (April 27).
According to preliminary investigations, the incident took place at the family’s residence in JJ Marg on April 25, where they had hosted a small get-together. The victims — Abdullah (40), his wife Nasrin (35), and their daughters Zainab (13) and Ayesha (16) — had served ‘chicken pulav’ to guests during the gathering.
Condition deteriorates
Officials said that after the guests left around 10:30 pm, the family consumed watermelon later in the night, around 1 am. By early morning, between 5 am and 6 am, all four began experiencing severe symptoms, including vomiting, giddiness, and loose motions.
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They were initially rushed to a nearby private hospital, but as their condition deteriorated, they were shifted to JJ Hospital, where they succumbed on Sunday (April 26). Abdullah, the head of the family, was the last to die around 10:30 pm.
Exact cause of death unknown
Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Munde said an accidental death report has been registered at the JJ Marg police station. He noted that none of the guests who consumed only the pulav reported any illness, pointing to the watermelon as the possible source of contamination.
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“Postmortem has been conducted. Food samples and body samples have been collected. Further investigation is underway,” Munde said.
Police are now awaiting forensic and laboratory reports to determine the exact cause of death.