In a shocking and heartbreaking incident that has plunged an entire village into mourning, a 13-year-old boy died, and four members of his family were hospitalised after eating watermelon in Kupuni village under Dihapada Panchayat in Pattamundai, Kendrapara district.
Doctors suspect food poisoning from contaminated or adulterated food. The tragedy unfolded on Friday afternoon when the Senapati family — grandfather Ananta Senapati (65), his elder son Panchanan (50) and his wife Charulata (46), younger son Babrubahan (45), granddaughter Swagatika (15), and grandson Swadhin (13) — enjoyed slices of watermelon after lunch.
Within hours, all five began complaining of severe stomach pain, followed by vomiting and diarrhoea. Their condition deteriorated rapidly. They were rushed to Kendrapara District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors stabilised four of them but found Swadhin’s condition critical. He was immediately shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where he was declared dead on arrival. Swadhin was the only son of Panchanan Senapati.
Kendrapara CDMO confirmed that the symptoms pointed to food poisoning caused by adulterated food items. “The clinical picture is consistent with food poisoning,” the official said, adding that the exact cause is under investigation.
The once-close-knit Senapati household is now shattered. Swadhin’s sudden death has left his parents inconsolable. The entire village of Kupuni is in shock, with neighbours describing the boy as a bright and energetic student. “He was the pride of the family,” said a local resident. “No one can believe this has happened just from eating fruit.”
Four family members continue to receive treatment at Kendrapara District Hospital. Their condition is reported as stable, but they remain under close observation.
