More than 80 persons developed food poisoning symptoms — diarrhoea and vomiting — after eating snacks from a food vendor at a religious fair in a village of Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Wednesday night.

The Dhanbad district administration on Thursday formed a three-member panel to probe into the incident which took place at Huchuktand village under Karamtand panchayat of Baliarpur block of Dhanbad.

“Yesterday night we came to know about the incident and all those suffering from food poisoning symptoms were admitted to the government hospital (Shahid Nirmal Mahato Medical College and Hospital). The Sub Divisional Officer Dhanbad (Prem Tiwari), civil surgeon (Alok Vishwakarma) and circle officer Baliarpur (Ram Pravesh Ram) have been asked to probe the incident and submit a report at the earliest,” said Dhanbad deputy commissioner Sandeep Singh.

The DC further said the probe team has been asked to find out if the vendor had a food safety licence and met the specific parameters required for the licence while selling the edible items.

“Usually the food vendors in village or city areas have been provided with a food safety licence issued by the appropriate authority after inspection. However, makeshift vendors in rural areas do not possess such licences. We would be taking action based on the report of the probe team,” said Sandeep Singh.

Dhanbad civil surgeon Dr Alok Vishwakarma said nearly 80 victims having identical symptoms and eating from the same vendors arrived at the hospital around Wednesday midnight.