Class 10 girl student dies after having lunch in Odisha hostel; 25 hospitalised

A doctor in the Soro community health centre (CHC) said the hostel inmates were suffering from cough and cold for the last four days.

Published on: Feb 19, 2023, 14:43:07 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A Class 10 student of a Kanyashram in Odisha’s Balasore district died while 25 other girls were admitted to hospital after taking lunch in their hostel, officials said on Saturday.

A doctor said the water and food being served in the hostel may have been contaminated which resulted in sickness of the girls. (Representative Image)

Three students of the Purubai Kanyashram in Soro town of Balasore district started vomiting following which they were immediately rushed to the nearby government hospital and two of them were shifted to Balasore District Headquarters Hospital late Friday night. Early Saturday, a Class 10 girl student named Rabina Singh died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. Later in the day, 23 more girl inmates of the Kanyashram fell sick following which they had to be admitted to the community health centre (CHC) Soro.

Secretary of the Kanyashram, Sumati Mohanty said the inmates were rushed to hospital soon after they started vomiting. A doctor in the Soro CHC said the hostel inmates were suffering from cough and cold for the last four days. The doctor said the water and food being served in the hostel may have been contaminated which resulted in sickness of the girls.

“We would not be able to comment as to what led to the death of the girl and sickness of other inmates till an inquiry is over,” said Balasore chief district medical officer Dulalsen Jagdeb.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More