BHOPAL: At least three lower-rung staff/workers of a prominent three-star hotel-cum-tourist resort in Madhya Pradesh’s world-famous tourist city, Khajuraho, have died due to suspected food poisoning, while at least three to four are stated to be in critical condition at a government hospital in Gwalior.

The tragic incident happened after the lower-rung employees had a delayed lunch at around 5 pm in their portion at the Gautam Hotel and Resort on Monday.

The condition of 11 of the staff members deteriorated a short while later and they started vomiting, after which they were rushed to the Chhatarpur district hospital in the late evening. Potato and cauliflower curry is suspected to have caused the health emergency.

With their condition continuing to worsen, the doctors at the Chhatarpur District Hospital referred them to adjoining Gwalior for life-saving treatment.

“Three of the critical workers identified as Pragilal Kushwah (54), Ramswaroop Kushwah (47) and woman staffer Girija Rajak (35) died during the course of treatment at the Jai Arogya Hospital (JAH) in Gwalior,” official sources in MP’s Chhatarpur district said.

Out of the 11 workers who took ill, nine were referred to Gwalior. While three died during the course of treatment at the JAH Hospital, six others have been admitted at two other government hospitals in Gwalior. Three to four of the remaining staffers, who are admitted at two hospitals in Gwalior, are stated critical.

“Three workers died due to suspected food poisoning. Immediate funeral assistance of Rs 5,000 each has been approved for the three deceased. Also, financial assistance of Rs 20,000 each has been released for the three bereaved families. Further, action is being taken to provide assistance of Rs 4 lakh each under the Sambal Scheme. Primary probe revealed that the workers of the hotel-cum-resort had lunch out of the food prepared by them only. Food poisoning is suspected in food which was prepared and consumed by them and not the food prepared at the hotel-cum-resort for the guests, which included officials of the state government," Chhatarpur district collector Parth Jaiswal told TNIE.