One dies, 5 fall sick after taking 'poisonous' watermelon

A boy died of diarrhoea and five others of the family were treated at Tangail Medical College Hospital on Sunday night.

Members of the family suspect that the watermelon they had eaten caused the sickness.

The deceased is Fahim Miah, 6, son of Babu Miah of Char Kagmara village in Tangail municipal area.

Fahim's grandfather Abdul Momin bought a watermelon at a local market on Sunday noon and six members of the family, including Fahim, were attacked by diarrhoea and vomiting just after eating it, said Helal Fakir, councillor of the ward.

They were taken to Tangail Medical College Hospital, and returned home after treatment, he added.

Fahim's condition, however, deteriorated in the evening and he was taken to the hospital again, where he died at 7:30am, said Syed Ibne Sayeed, civil surgeon in Tangail.

Being informed, a six-member team from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research (IEDCR) at Mohakhali in Dhaka went to Tangail yesterday and took samples of the watermelon for tests and also talked to the family members, he added.

The reason behind the death will be confirmed after getting the tests results, he added.

Police detained the watermelon vendor Saiful Islam from Nirala intersection area early yesterday and seized watermelons from his shop as sample, said Nazmul Haque Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of Tangail Model Police Station. 

All shops selling watermelons remained shut due to the incident yesterday, locals said.