A tragic incident in Mumbai, where four family members died after reportedly consuming watermelon, has raised concerns over food poisoning, contamination, and toxin-mediated gastroenteritis, though experts say the exact cause remains unconfirmed. Sharing insights with ET Online, Dr RR Dutta of Paras Health explained that the rapid onset of symptoms within 3–5 hours points to pre-formed toxins rather than watermelon itself, which is not inherently high-risk but can become contaminated after cutting if not handled properly.