A 16-year-old girl from Kerala died in Kanhangad district hospital while undergoing treatment for food poisoning after she consumed Shawarma at a local eatery. As many as 18 others have been hospitalised. A case has been registered and the shop has been sealed.

The incident was reported from the Cheruvathur town of Kasaragod district in the state. The deceased was identified as Devananda. According to the reports, 18 other students have fallen sick due to the suspected food poisoning. Commenting on the incident, Kasargod Medical Officer on Sunday said, "A team of doctors including a paediatrician examined Devananda but could not save her life. Rest, a total of 18 students are admitted to the hospital and all of them are in stable condition."

"We are expecting more cases and have asked doctors and staff from other nearby medical institutions to be present at the Cheruvathur PHC and Neeleswaram Taluk hospitals. We plan to treat people with mild issues there and those with serious conditions will be shifted to the district hospital," District Medical Officer, AV Ramdas said.

The shop where students consumed shawarma has been sealed and the cook has been taken into custody by police."The shop has been closed and the cook has been taken into custody. Food poisoning may be the primary reason for this. Health Department is monitoring the situation. A special team has also been constituted to investigate the matter," said M Rajagopalan, MLA Trikaripur. The MLA further informed that the samples of the shawarma have also been sent for testing.