Chicken biryani, fish, alcohol: New Year party in Hyderabad apartment turns fatal; 1 dead, 16 fall ill

Food Poisoning

• 1 dead, 16 hospitalized after suspected food poisoning at Hyderabad party
• Food samples sent for analysis to determine the poisoning source
• Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident

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A private New Year’s Eve celebration at a residential complex in Hyderabad’s Bhavani Nagar has ended in tragedy, leaving one man dead and 16 others hospitalised, one in a critical condition, due to suspected food poisoning.

The incident, which occurred at an apartment under the Jagadgirigutta police station limits, saw a long-standing group of neighbours, all aged between 40 and 60, gather for a house party on Tuesday evening to welcome 2026. The group consumed liquor and a meal they had prepared themselves, which included chicken biryani and fish, TOI reported.

The festive atmosphere turned to distress by Thursday morning. Inspector B Venkatesham of Jagadgirigutta police was cited by TOI as saying that many attendees began suffering from vomiting, nausea, giddiness, stomach pain and drowsiness. One of the revellers, 53-year-old businessman Pandu, experienced acute discomfort around 10 am.

As Pandu's condition deteriorated, he was rushed via ambulance to the Malla Reddy Narayana multi-speciality hospital in Jeedimetla around 10.30 am, Inspector Venkatesham stated. He succumbed to his illness during treatment at approximately 12 pm.

Hospital authorities confirmed Pandu’s death was due to food poisoning. Doctors noted that others from the same party were subsequently admitted with identical symptoms. Dr Sumit Shekhar, who is attending to the patients, told the TOI that of the 16 hospitalised individuals, 15 are in the Intensive Care Unit and one is on ventilator support.

Dr Shekhar said the patients were evaluated and admitted. He cautioned that it is premature to pinpoint the exact source, noting the group had consumed chicken, fish and alcohol, and that the poisoning could be linked to various potential causes such as stale chicken, leftover oil, food colouring or another ingredient.

Medical staff have sent food samples and ingredients for analysis at the hospital’s in-house laboratory. The results are awaited to provide a definitive cause.

In response to the incident, local police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), pertaining to a suspicious death and have initiated a formal investigation.