A family of four in Mumbai died from suspected severe food poisoning. The victims—a couple and their two daughters—fell ill after eating watermelon following a family dinner. They experienced severe vomiting and diarrhea, dying within hours.
A tragic case in Mumbai’s Paydhuni area has sparked a major investigation after four members of the same family died within hours of eating dinner at home, with officials probing whether severe food poisoning caused the deaths. The victims were identified as Abdullah Dokadia, 40, his wife Nasreen, 35, and their two daughters, Ayesha, 16, and Zainab, 13. Authorities said the family had hosted relatives for dinner on Saturday night before their health suddenly deteriorated in the early hours of Sunday.
According to police, nine family members shared a meal of biryani and pulao at around 10.30 pm. However, only the four immediate family members later ate watermelon after the guests had left. Within a few hours, all four reportedly began suffering from intense vomiting, diarrhoea and weakness. The sudden onset of identical symptoms among all four family members has led investigators to focus on the possibility that the watermelon may have been contaminated.
Dr Ziad Qureshi, one of the first doctors to examine the family, described the alarming condition in which they arrived for treatment. He said, “They had severe vomiting and diarrhea. When I rushed them to the hospital, they informed me that they had eaten watermelon.” The younger daughter was declared dead first, while the mother and elder daughter died soon after. Abdullah later died despite being placed on ventilator support.
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Police have registered an accidental death case while forensic teams and the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration have launched parallel investigations. A half-eaten piece of watermelon recovered from the family’s home has been sent for laboratory analysis. Biological samples collected during the post-mortem examination are also being tested to determine whether bacterial contamination, toxins or another substance triggered the fatal reaction.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Munde said, “Samples collected from the bodies during the post-mortem have been sent for further investigation.” Officials are also trying to determine whether the contamination came from the fruit itself, storage conditions, or another source inside the home. At this stage, authorities have not ruled out any possibility.
Medical experts note that while food poisoning is common, fatal cases involving an entire family are rare and usually linked to highly contaminated food or toxic substances. The shocking incident has raised fresh concerns over food safety during summer, especially when cut fruits are stored improperly in high temperatures.
Investigators are now awaiting toxicology and histopathology reports, which are expected to provide the final answer to what caused the deaths of the Mumbai family in a matter of just 12 hours.
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