More than 150 children fell ill after eating food that was part of the midday meal at a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Balwaha village in the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital, while about 50 students were admitted to Maheshi Public Health Centre.
Saharsa District Magistrate Dipesh Kumar told reporters: “We received information that several children fell ill after eating midday meal at Balwaha. The children were initially treated at the primary healthcare centre, but later, many of them were referred to Sadar Hospital.”
“According to the doctors, the children’s health condition has improved, but they will remain under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some of the children have mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses were stored at the school.
They said that out of 545 students present at the school, 200 of them had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and they later complained of stomach pain and vomiting.
Regarding the claims, Dubai Municipality said that food samples were collected from the school.
He added: “We will not be able to comment on this matter until the results of the examined samples arrive.”
