21 September,2009 10:12 AM IST | | IANS
At least eight people including four children died of suspected food poisoning in Orissa's Kandhamal district during the past 48 hours, a senior health official said on Sunday night.
The people died at Gudrigaon village under Saramuli gram panchayat, some 200 km from district headquarters Phulbani, Bikash Patnaik, joint director of the health department, said here.
"Health officials have already been deputed to the village. We are planning to send more doctors to the area Monday, he said.
Initial reports indicated the victims had symptoms of food poisoning, but Patnaik said the exact cause of the death would be known after investigation.
"The area where people died is a forested and inaccessible area. We are not able to contact local health officials," Patnaik added.
