Chapra: 36 children fall ill after eating mid-day meal

SDM Sanjay Rai said that a detailed inquiry will be conducted into the matter and those found guilty will not be spared.

PATNA: Thirty-six children of class 1 to class 5 in Bihar’s Chapra district fell sick after eating mid-day meal at the school on Thursday, officials said.

School principal Suman Kumari said that the mid-day meal was being distributed by NGOs. (Picture for representation/ HT Photo)

According to officials, the incident took place at the Utkarit Girls Middle School Rasulpur Tikulia Tola Dumri area in the district.

Five students are said to be serious and have been shifted to ICU, officials said.

Akash Kumar, a class 5 student in the school said that they found a dead lizard in their food. “School authority was soon informed and the distribution of food was immediately stopped. Soon, the health of the children deteriorated and they started vomiting,” he said.

School principal Suman Kumari said that the mid-day meal was being distributed by NGOs. “The distribution of food was stopped as soon as we got information. All the sick children were sent to the Sadar hospital for treatment,” she said.

“The food inspector has been called and instructed to take food samples. A detailed inquiry will be conducted into the matter and those found guilty will not be spared,” said sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Sanjay Rai.