Over 350 people were  taken ill after consuming Dar—a feast that Hindu women enjoy on  Teej festival—at a programme in Panchkhal Municipality-12, Kavre, on Saturday. The Dar programme was organised by the Swabalamban Multi Purpose Cooperatives.

The chief guest of the programme, Goma Bhurtel, a provincial assembly member, is among the people  who have been taken ill.

Of the 400 people who attended the programme, around 90 percent were taken ill, police said. Panchkhal residents and police rushed 190 people to local hospitals and health centres. Some people were taken to Kathmandu for treatment. People were compelled to receive treatment in the open due to a lack of space at local health facilities.

Panchkhal Mayor Mahesh Kharel said a health camp was set up at a local school to treat the patients.

Kharel said people who had consumed a pea item at the feast were the ones to  get sick. Police collected the samples of food items for lab tests.