Three people including two of a family died of "food poisoning" and five fell sick in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh this morning.

The deceased are: Bithi, 12, and her niece Dilruba, 8, of Dhanikhola Dakkhin Bhatipara village; and Najma Begum, 15, of Badamia village in Trishal upazila, reports our Mymensingh correspondent.

"The doctors primarily suspected that the three have died of severe food poisoning but it will be confirmed only after the autopsy," Dr Tanimul Haque Rizvi of the hospital told our correspondent.

Dilruba's mother Rahima Khatun told our correspondent that her mother-in-law, Ambia, went to the house of one of their relatives, Kalu Mia, at Badamia village along with Dilruba and Bithi yesterday.

"Last evening, Kalu Miah bought flour and sweet potato for them from a nearby market," Rahima said.

"And this morning, they fell sick after having breakfast with handmade bread made by the flour and the sweet potato," she added.

Ambia, 45, and Hajera Begum, 50, Asma Begum, 24, Roma, 22, Salma Akhter, all relatives of Kalu Mia, are undergoing treatment at Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital.

Dilruba and Bithi were declared brought dead at the hospital while Najma died later.

Police detained Saiful Islam, a shopkeeper who sold the flour to Kalu Miah, said Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Trishal Police Station.