200 kids fall sick playing Holi in Mumbai

Nearly 200 children from Mumbai’s Dharavi slum suffered colour poisoning playing Holi Thursday and were admitted to hospital following allergic reactions, a hospital official said. All are now said to be stable. x“So far 176 children have been admitted to the hospital with complaints of skin allergy, burning of eyes, giddiness and vomiting,” a duty medical officer from Sion Hospital said. “More and more cases are coming in since the afternoon. They seem to have played with colours with some chemical elements,” he said. The incident occurred in Shastrinagar area of the slum in south-central Mumbai when Holi celebrations were in full swing. The affected children were taken to the hospital. According to hospital officials, some cases were critical on admission but are now stable and responding well to treatment. Officials also added that they have got calls from a few adults also with similar complaints. Police are looking into the matter and trying to find out the source of the Holi colours, a police official said.