Two passengers die, six fall sick on board Patna-Kota Express train

Two passengers died and six fell sick on board the Patna-Kota Express train on Sunday, officials said. It was not immediately known what led to the deaths.

They were part of a group of 90 passengers from Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Five of the six people who feel sick were undergoing treatment at a railway hospital in Agra while the sixth was admitted to the S N Medical College.

North Central Railway PRO in Agra Division Prashasti Srivastava told PTI, "A call was received on the railway helpline number about the passengers...falling sick. They were travelling in an AC coach. A woman aged about 62 years and a man aged nearly 65 were declared dead by the doctor at the Agra Cantt Railway Station. Five passengers from the same group are being treated at (hospitals)." She said the cause of death was not known yet.

Asked if it was a case of food poisoning or dehydration, she said, "It will be known after the postmortem." On whether they were given poison-laced sweets by a criminal gang known as "zeher khurani", she said there was no such complaint.

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