Five members of a family, including three children, died at their home in a Greater Noida village after reportedly eating noodles for dinner on Friday night, with police suspecting food poisoning as a possible cause.
The deceased have been identified as Mahesh, 37, his wife Lalita, 35, and their three children, two sons aged 11 and three, and a seven-year-old daughter, police said. Prima facie, the incident appeared to be a case of food poisoning, officials said.
“According to local residents and the deceased couple’s mother, the family had eaten noodles on Friday night. However, the exact cause of death has not yet been established,” Noida police said in a statement.
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Videos from the scene showed local residents gathering after news of the incident spread through the village.
Police said they received information about the incident on Saturday morning and rushed to the spot along with senior officials, an ambulance, a forensic team and officials from the food safety department.
“They were resting after dinner on Friday night and appeared to have fallen asleep on their beds. When we arrived at the scene, we found their bodies in that position. We are still investigating the circumstances and gathering details about the family,” said Rajeev Kumar Sisodiya, assistant commissioner of police (Greater Noida).
In a statement, Noida police said a field unit and a forensic team were inspecting the scene and collecting scientific evidence.
Police said inquest proceedings were underway and the bodies were being sent for post-mortem examinations. Further legal action would be taken based on the post-mortem reports.
No case had been registered at the time of publication, and further investigation was under way, officials added.
Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh visited the residence of the five deceased and said the Chief Minister’s Office had been informed about the incident. He said the deaths occurred after the family consumed a poisonous substance, adding that the substance had been seized for analysis.
“The substance in question has been taken into custody for analysis; if it is confirmed to be toxic, strict action will be taken against the company that manufactured it,” Singh said.
He added that a forensic team had reached the spot and the Food Department was investigating the incident in Nagla Padam, within the Jewar Assembly constituency of Gautam Buddha Nagar district.