63 People, Including 11 Children, Fall Ill After Eating Ragi Food in Ballia

Sixty-three people, including 11 children, have fallen ill in Ballia after consuming ragi-based food, prompting authorities to trace the suspected common source of the flour and determine what caused the sudden outbreak.

The incident was reported in Chokan and Chhata (Aschaura) villages under Bansdih tehsil on October 2, ahead of the Jitiya or Jivitputrika Vrat. The number of affected initially stood at 47, including 10 children, before rising to 63. Chief Medical Officer Dr Abhay Narayan Rai said the patients include 11 minors and 15 men, with the remaining being women. Three were taken to a private hospital, three to the Bansdih Community Health Centre and the rest to the district hospital.

The suspected common source is ragi (finger millet or madua) flour used to prepare rotis and litti for the festival. Families told officials that the flour was purchased from a local vendor identified as Sonu Verma. Residents reported vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness and body tremors, while some women reportedly lost consciousness. A local report said the flour may have originated from around 2 kg of madua seeds stored by farmer Rinku Singh, who had reportedly received the material from a government seed store for cultivation the previous year. The seeds were allegedly taken to a local mill and ground into flour before entering circulation.

The reported agricultural-seed link has emerged as a major line of investigation, but authorities have not confirmed that any seed-treatment chemical caused the illnesses. Another possibility being examined is contamination or deterioration due to prolonged or improper storage. Food-safety officials have collected samples of the suspected flour and prepared food for laboratory testing to determine where contamination occurred.

The timing of the outbreak is significant. Jitiya preparations involve Nahay-Khay, during which women traditionally consume foods including madua/ragi preparations before beginning the fast. Because the same flour was reportedly used across several households, a single contaminated batch could have exposed dozens of people within hours. The Ministry of Tourism notes that madua roti forms part of Jivitputrika traditions in some regions.

District Magistrate Gyanendra Singh and SP Omveer Singh visited the affected villages and hospital, while specialised medical teams were deployed. Earlier reports said 28 patients had recovered and been discharged, even as the cumulative count later reached 63.

The FSSAI has standards requiring food-grade ragi to be free from moulds, poisonous seeds and other impurities and to comply with limits on contaminants, toxins and residues. Investigators are now examining whether the problem originated in the grain, storage, milling, distribution or preparation. Laboratory results will determine the precise cause.