Two students died and one is under recovery after their health suddenly deteriorated at a private school in Uttar Pradesh on Monday after allegedly consuming momos and french fries.
According to the parents, the children had consumed momos and finger chips on Sunday evening, bought from a shop near Mahendra Chowk. Whether this was connected to their illnesses has not been established. Police are probing the deaths and have sent both bodies for post-mortem examinations to determine the exact cause.
The incident took place at BL Vidya Mandir, a private residential school in Banda’s Jheel Ka Purwa area. The deceased were Nitin, 12, a Class 6 residential student, and Arun Kushwaha, 9, a Class 2 student. Both complained of vomiting and abdominal pain at different times between Sunday night and Monday morning.
Nitin, a resident of Sarwasah village in the Girwan police station area, fell ill around 1 am on Monday, according to his family. School staff initially took him to the district hospital but brought him back to the school shortly afterwards. He was taken to the hospital again around 7 am, where doctors declared him dead.
Arun, from Mahendu village in the Chilla police station area, fell ill around 4 am. School staff took him to the district hospital at about 6 am, from where doctors referred him to a medical college. He died on the way.
{{/usCountry}}Arun, from Mahendu village in the Chilla police station area, fell ill around 4 am. School staff took him to the district hospital at about 6 am, from where doctors referred him to a medical college. He died on the way.
{{/usCountry}}A third student, Class 4 student Yogesh Shivhare, also fell ill on Monday afternoon and was taken to the district hospital. He was undergoing treatment and was reported to be recovering.
Additional SP, Banda, Shivraj said post-mortems of the two students were conducted on Monday night and their viscera have been preserved for examination and added that the police had formally begun an investigation into the deaths.
The deaths have also raised questions over the school’s handling of the students after they fell ill. Relatives alleged that the school informed them only after the children had reached the hospital or died.
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The younger brothers of both deceased students, who also study at the school, told their families that Nitin and Arun had allegedly asked staff to inform their parents during the night, but they were not allowed to speak to them.
School manager Om Prakash denied negligence, saying staff had taken the children to hospital when they became ill and made every effort to save them.