Death toll mounts to 2, 4 critical after consuming 'prasad' in Karnataka ​temple

ANI photo

Bengaluru: The death toll in the Karnataka temple incident has on Sunday rose to two, with four people in critical condition. A woman had died and several fell ill after consuming 'prasad' at Gangamma Temple in Chintamani area of Chikkaballapura district on Friday night. The district is about 100 km from Bengaluru.

#UPDATE Deaths after consuming 'prasad' at Gangamma Temple in Chintamani of Chikkaballapura on 25 Jan night: Another death takes the death toll up to 2. 4 ppl in critical condition. A woman, who worked as a cook at a hotel, has been taken into custody. Case registered. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/wFGqEK11a7

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2019

The Karnataka Police on Saturday registered a case and initiated a probe into the incident. A woman, who worked as a cook at a hotel, has been taken into custody.

Two unidentified women came to the Gangamma Devi temple in Chintamani Town where a grand celebration took place Friday night and distributed Kesari Bhat (halwa) to the devotees. 

After consuming it, people started complaining of stomach pain, police said, adding they were rushed to a private hospital in the town.

In December 2018, 17 people lost their lives and more than 100 were hospitalised in Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka after they consumed 'prasad' laced with poison at a temple.

A seer of Salur Math Pattada Immadi Mahadevaswamy and three others were arrested on charges of murder and attempt to murder for reportedly poisoning the temple offering.