• Two deaths reported since last night; eight patients continue to be in a critical condition
• MLA R. Narendra demands Muzrai Department take over Kichugutti Maramma Temple

Mysuru: The toll in the tragic and horrifying case of mass poisoning at Kichugutti Maramma Temple in Sulwadi village in Hanur taluk  of Chamarajanagar district that shook Mysuru and Chamarajanagar on Friday has risen to 13.

Till yesterday evening, 11 persons had died and last night, two more people died.

Yesterday’s two deaths were reported from Apollo Hospital.  They were 40-year-old Salamma from M.G. Doddi village and 35-year-old Mageswari from M.G. Doddi.

According to District Health Officials, eight persons who have been admitted at various hospitals in city continue to be in a critical state. The remaining 21 patients have shown signs of improvement but are being closely monitored and have been put on ventilator support. Doctors said that it might take a few days to declare the patients out of danger as the effects of pesticides may take a long time to leave the human body.

Meanwhile, many relatives of patients alleged that their loved ones did not get proper treatment at hospitals. “There is no one to take care of us and we live in abject poverty. These politicians come to us only for votes but we are left in the lurch during the time of crisis and such mass tragedies,” said a woman who was wailing in front of the K.R. Hospital.

Poignant scenes were witnessed around the mortuary of Mysore Medical College Mortuary where the dead bodies were brought.

Like yesterday, today too there was a steady stream of visitors to the K.R. Hospital from various villages of Chamarajanagar and Kollegal.

On its part, the State Government and the District Administration are trying to mitigate the sufferings.

Doctors treating the patients said that their first priority was to stabilise the patients who are in a critical condition.

“Yesterday, the situation was grim with over 29 patients in a critical state. Today, their numbers have come down to eight. We are trying our best,” a doctor told Star of Mysore.

The State government has appointed special Nodal Officers to monitor the situation at hospitals. District Administration sources said that as the patients have been admitted to various hospitals in city, Nodal Officers have been appointed in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar. They have been directed to report the progress of patients on an hourly basis to the government.

This morning, Health Minister Shivananda Patil visited the K.R. Hospital and enquired about the health of the patients. He was accompanied by Chamarajanagar District Minister C. Puttaranga Shetty, Mysuru District Minister G.T. Devegowda, and BJP MLC Kota Sreenivasa Poojari, who is the opposition leader in the Legislative Council, Chamarajanagar MP R. Dhruvanarayan and Hanur MLA R. Narendra.

During the VIP visit, MLA Narendra demanded that the State Government (Muzrai Department) must take over the Kichugutti Maramma Temple. “Divisions are deep in the temple with rival groups in temple management, priests and villagers. Each group wants to take over the temple management as there is a heavy flow of income from the devotees. Added to this, some vested interests from Tamil Nadu are claiming that the village comes under Tamil Nadu and the temple belongs to them,” he explained.

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