THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) has issued a clarification after reports surfaced about worms found in food served on the Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express. The incident reportedly took place on October 2, when a passenger claimed to have found several worms in the dal curry served with lunch on the train.

The passenger, Soumini, a native of Mangaluru, boarded the train from Thrissur along with three family members. She said they found worms in the dal curry served with rice. Soumini further alleged that other passengers on the train had also found worms in their food packets.

In response, the IRCTC has now clarified that it has no role in the catering services of the Vande Bharat trains. According to the statement issued by the IRCTC, the responsibility for providing food on Vande Bharat services operating in Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram–Kasargod–Thiruvananthapuram (Train Nos. 20633 and 20634) and Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru (Train Nos. 20631 and 20632), lies with the Southern Railway, not IRCTC.

Soumini said she had warned her children to be careful while eating because she had earlier come across news reports about worms being found in Vande Bharat food. Upon noticing worms in their meal, the family immediately informed the onboard catering staff and lodged a complaint with IRCTC. The money for the meal was later refunded, and authorities said that further action would be taken regarding the incident.