Temple tragedy toll mounts to 17

Mysuru: A 45-year-old victim of the Sulwadi prasadam poisoning incident breathed his last at Suyog Hospital in city yesterday, taking the death toll in the incident to 17. According to hospital authorities, Rangan hailed from Doreswamy Medu, Hanur Taluk in Chamarajanagar and was working as a daily wager.

He breathed his last at 3.15 pm. Rangan, his wife Eshwari and their 5-year-old daughter had consumed the prasadam after their visit to the temple on Dec. 14. While their 5-year-old child recovered, Eshwari is recuperating in the ICU of Narayana Hrudayalaya as she was taken out of ventilator yesterday.

Rangan was very critical when he was brought to the hospital. Due to high amount of poison intake, he suffered a cardiac arrest four days ago. Even though the doctors were able to revive him in four minutes, the oxygen levels in his brain fell to dangerous levels damaging his brain stem, said doctors.

Out of 17 dead, eight of them died in Chamarajanagar hospitals and nine in different hospitals in Mysuru. Hospital sources said in all, 110 people were admitted to as many as 11 hospitals in the Chamarajanagar, Kollegal and Mysuru city and of them 17 people died till date. As many as 53 persons have been discharged as on yesterday.

However, 41 affected including 17 men, 20 women and 4 children, are still undergoing treatment. Out of these, 18 of them are on ventilator support. At least six of them are still battling for life and are in serious condition, doctors at different hospitals said.

Victim asked to abort

Five-month pregnant Soundarya from Bidarahalli who was admitted in connection with the Sulwadi Temple poisoning incident had to undergo abortion after doctors noticed complications with the kid. She had reportedly gone to the temple on that ill-fated day to have prasadam for the wellness of her yet-to-be-born. She was recently discharged after recovering. The abortion was performed at the Kollegal General Hospital yesterday.