The deceased family Mumbai: A Saturday night feast turned tragic when four members of a family – two sisters and their parents – died within hours of eating a watermelon. While five other relatives had shared biryani-pulao with them at 10.30pm, and reported no symptoms, the fruit was consumed only by the four around 1am Sunday, said police. The deceased Bhendi Bazaar residents are Abdulla Dodakia (44), who owned a mobile phone accessories shop in Andheri, his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zainab (12). Doctors at JJ Hospital, where three of the victims received treatment, are just as puzzled. They said it is “very unlikely” that a stale watermelon could cause four deaths at such close intervals and that all medical efforts would fail to save them. The spate of deaths began around 10.30am with Zainab, then Nasreen three hours later, Ayesha around 5.15pm and Abdulla about 10.15pm. Doctors puzzled A doctor involved in their care at JJ Hospital said the three had symptoms typical of food poisoning and their kidneys were severely impacted. JJ Marg police have registered four cases of accidental deaths, with investigation ongoing. They said Abullah’s brother and other relatives live close by and all had left for their houses soon after the feast. “The statements of Abdullah and Ayesha were recorded. They said they experienced vomiting and diarrhoea after eating the watermelon. No foul play is suspected as of now. Postmortem and forensic reports are awaited,” said a police officer. Samples of the watermelon have been sent for testing. Both sisters were waiting for their exam results; Ayesha was expected to clear Class X with flying colours, and Zainab was all set to join Class IX, police said. Between 5am and 5.30am Sunday, all four started reporting symptoms of vomiting with severe discomfort. The family lived on the second floor of Mughal Building in Ghati Gali. Chaos erupted on their floor between 9.30am to 10am Sunday, prompting neighbours to call in fourth-floor homeopath, Zaid Qureshi, who said Zainab had froth in her mouth and her pulse could not be detected, and the other three family members were semi-conscious. TOI attempted to reach him to no avail till press time. One after the other, neighbours took the family members to hospital. They were taken to Saboo Siddique Hospital where Zainab was declared dead. Abdulla and Nasreen were transferred to JJ Hospital, followed by Ayesha. Dr Sanjay Surase, medical superintendent at the hospital, said, “It’ is very unlikely a stale watermelon can be this fatal. There could be some additives or something else altogether. At this point, we are not ruling out any possibility.” Nasreen died two hours after admission. Ayesha was shifted to ICU followed by her father. They died about five hours apart. (With inputs from Rachael Varghese)About the AuthorMateen HafeezMateen Hafeez, special correspondent at The Times of India in Mumbai, reports on terrorism, underworld, cybercrime and organized crime syndicates. He also writes about the jails in Maharashtra and focuses on human interest stories. He has covered the Ghatkopar bomb blast, Vile Parle bomb blast, Mulund train blast, train serial blasts in 2006, 26/11 terror attacks and Pune’s German Bakery bomb blast. He has a special interest in Urdu fiction written by Ibn-e-Safi.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosNDA Nears 2/3 Majority As NDA Numbers Swell in Rajya Sabha After AAP Exodus’Party Of Billionaires’: Congress Attacks AAP After 7 Rajya Sabha MPs Join BJPIran Attacks Togo-Flagged Tanker With 17 Indian Seafarers Near Oman; All Safe’Once-in-a-Generation’ India Signs Free Trade Agreement With New Zealand After a Decade of Talks’Attack By BJP Goons’: TMC MP Mitali Bag’s Car Vandalised In Hooghly, BJP Denies TMC’s Charge’You Are Married Because AAP Made You Rajya Sabha Member’: Saurabh Bharadwaj Attacks Raghav ChadhaNDA Surges In Rajya Sabha After Chadha-Led AAP Exodus, BJP Nears Majority“Right Man, Wrong Party”: Raghav Chadha Defends Exit From AAP In New Video“Bound To Happen”: Congress MLA’s Take On Trump Event ShootingArvind Kejriwal Shocks Court With Refusal To Appear In Excise Case123PhotostoriesWhy tadka turns bitter: 5 expert tips for preparing perfect tadka at home10 delicious Indian sweets made with fresh cheesePM Narendra Modi praises 3 desi Indian cheese varieties and asks how many have you triedHow Brahma Muhurta Routines Can Improve Focus, Clarity, and Discipline8 historic landmarks in Mumbai that are more than 100 years old: Why you should visit themTop 5 residential areas of Nashik for quality living and investmentAC vs cooler: What works best for DelhiAamir Khan tears up at son Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi’s ‘Ek Din Ki Mehfil’ event: 5 times the actor got emotional in publicGreen and red food combinations that boost nutrient absorption instantlySummer Special: How to make Kaache Aam ki Launji at home123Hot PicksWest Bengal PollsPM ModiMamata BanerjeeRahul GandhiBengal RallyWest Bengal ElectionsMatua CommunityTop TrendingRussini Mike Photo ControversyTamil Nadu electionNFL Trade RumorsPetrol Diesel PriceAssam HS 12th ResultJac Class 12 ResultPatrick MahomesBengal PollsJack GrealishIPL Orange Cap
Mumbai: A Saturday night feast turned tragic when four members of a family – two sisters and their parents – died within hours of eating a watermelon. While five other relatives had shared biryani-pulao with them at 10.30pm, and reported no symptoms, the fruit was consumed only by the four around 1am Sunday, said police. The deceased Bhendi Bazaar residents are Abdulla Dodakia (44), who owned a mobile phone accessories shop in Andheri, his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zainab (12). Doctors at JJ Hospital, where three of the victims received treatment, are just as puzzled. They said it is “very unlikely” that a stale watermelon could cause four deaths at such close intervals and that all medical efforts would fail to save them. The spate of deaths began around 10.30am with Zainab, then Nasreen three hours later, Ayesha around 5.15pm and Abdulla about 10.15pm.
Doctors puzzled
A doctor involved in their care at JJ Hospital said the three had symptoms typical of food poisoning and their kidneys were severely impacted. JJ Marg police have registered four cases of accidental deaths, with investigation ongoing. They said Abullah’s brother and other relatives live close by and all had left for their houses soon after the feast. “The statements of Abdullah and Ayesha were recorded. They said they experienced vomiting and diarrhoea after eating the watermelon. No foul play is suspected as of now. Postmortem and forensic reports are awaited,” said a police officer. Samples of the watermelon have been sent for testing. Both sisters were waiting for their exam results; Ayesha was expected to clear Class X with flying colours, and Zainab was all set to join Class IX, police said. Between 5am and 5.30am Sunday, all four started reporting symptoms of vomiting with severe discomfort. The family lived on the second floor of Mughal Building in Ghati Gali. Chaos erupted on their floor between 9.30am to 10am Sunday, prompting neighbours to call in fourth-floor homeopath, Zaid Qureshi, who said Zainab had froth in her mouth and her pulse could not be detected, and the other three family members were semi-conscious. TOI attempted to reach him to no avail till press time. One after the other, neighbours took the family members to hospital. They were taken to Saboo Siddique Hospital where Zainab was declared dead. Abdulla and Nasreen were transferred to JJ Hospital, followed by Ayesha. Dr Sanjay Surase, medical superintendent at the hospital, said, “It’ is very unlikely a stale watermelon can be this fatal. There could be some additives or something else altogether. At this point, we are not ruling out any possibility.“ Nasreen died two hours after admission. Ayesha was shifted to ICU followed by her father. They died about five hours apart. (With inputs from Rachael Varghese)
