Over 40 students, teacher hospitalised after food poisoning in Maharashtra

Local activists circulated photos claiming that a dead lizard was found in the lunch container, which they believe may have caused the food poisoning

Bs_logoMidday meal
Photo: PTI
Rimjhim Singh New Delhi
2 min read Last Updated : Oct 18 2024 | 4:00 PM IST
As many as 40 students and a teacher from Municipal School 88 in Agasan, Diva, were hospitalised on Thursday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital, Kalwa, after showing symptoms of food poisoning.

The students and the teacher had consumed the midday meal at the school. Local activists circulated photos claiming that a dead lizard was found in the lunch container, which they believe may have caused the food poisoning.

Meanwhile, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao confirmed that an investigation is underway, and the Food & Drug Administration has collected samples of the suspected food for testing.

Deputy municipal commissioner Gajanan Godhepure said that a show cause notice had been issued to the meal contractor, Adarsh Mahila Mandal, a women’s self-help group.

The issue came to light around 2 pm when students from the morning shift reported nausea and abdominal pain after eating khichdi for lunch. Initially, 24 students from classes V to VIII experienced discomfort, prompting a team of pediatric specialists from Kalwa CSMM Hospital to assess about 100 students.

Following this, the number of students who fell sick rose to 41, according to Dr Rakesh Barot, Dean of CSMM Hospital.

Rohidas Munde, a member of Shiv Sena UBT, Diva, criticised the administration, calling for strict action against both the contractor and civic officials. The police have registered a case against the contractor.

This incident follows a similar one last month, when 42 students from Sahyadri School, Kalwa, reported food poisoning after consuming their midday meal.

A medical officer at the hospital reported that although the children are no longer in danger, food samples have been collected for testing to identify the exact cause. Local civic authorities and the police have initiated an investigation into the incident.

80 students hospitalised in Maharashtra

In August this year, 80 students from a district council school in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, were hospitalised after consuming biscuits provided through a nutritional meal programme.

According to local officials, the children began experiencing symptoms of nausea and vomiting around 8:30 am at the Keket Jalgaon village school.

Dr Babasaheb Ghughe, a medical officer at the hospital, reported that 257 students showed symptoms of food poisoning after consuming the biscuits. Of these, 153 were brought to the hospital, with some receiving treatment and later being discharged.

(With PTI inputs) 
Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories

  • Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :Maharashtrafood poisoningMidday meal schemeBS Web Reports

First Published: Oct 18 2024 | 4:00 PM IST