Food on Tejas Express fine, puking kids led to scare of poisoning: Report

NEW DELHI: A railways' inquiry into the food poisoning incident on board the Tejas Express has found no problem with the food quality, with the investigators concluding the passengers' unease was triggered by some children vomited and "vitiated" the air quality" in the a/c coach".

The report, by a central railways team, said the food served on board the train was of "satisfactory quality".

"The vomit smell triggered uneasiness in others, and then another two children vomited. This further vitiated the air in the coach and then two more children vomited. This triggered uneasiness in their parents," the report states.

"After this incident, (a) few other passengers of coaches C1, C2, C5, C7 who passed through this coach also complained of uneasiness," it says.

A three-member committee comprising senior railway and IRCTC officials was formed on Sunday after 26 passengers took ill on board the Goa-Mumbai Tejas Express from Goa after breakfast.

The report also says a group of tourists from Kolkata had complained of uneasiness. The group's tour manager said the tourists had been travelling continuously for the past 16 days through Maharashtra and Goa, and were carrying their own cooks and food material, including fish (hilsa), it says. The report, however, doesn't say if the group had food served on the train or the food they were carrying.

It also does not clarify if the smell of the fish triggered the vomiting. However, the report says some passengers had complained about a smell from their omelettes, adding the "quality of omelette may be ensured while serving".