Thirty-four students of a government school in Bihar’s Nalanda district fell sick on Tuesday after eating a midday meal in which detergent powder was said to have been mistakenly added instead of salt, The Indian Express reported.

The students at the Middle School, Parasi, in the district’s Noorsarai block had complained of a burning sensation in their throats and stomach pain after eating the midday meal, The Hindu reported.

Nalanda Civil Surgeon Jai Prakash Singh said that they had suffered from food poisoning. Their health condition was stable, he added.

The headmaster of the school, Shailendra Kumar Singh, told reporters that the meal was supplied by a local non-governmental organisation, reported The Indian Express. It comprised rice and soyabean-potato curry as per the prescribed menu.

The school serves the midday meal in multiple sittings, Singh said. “During the second sitting, a student, identified as the granddaughter of a school cook, reportedly asked for additional salt,” the headmaster was quoted as saying by the newspaper. “The cook allegedly picked up detergent powder instead of salt by mistake and added it to the girl’s food.”

Singh said that subsequently, other students also asked for extra salt and were given detergent powder. “Soon, some students started complaining about pain in the throat and stomach after which we found out about the issue,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

A parent who went to the hospital to see his daughter was quoted as saying by The Hindu: “I got the information about the children being hospitalised after eating a mid-day meal. When I reached the hospital, I saw children were vomiting; many even fell.”

District Education Officer Hemchandra said that the actual cause for the children falling ill will be clear only when the medical report from the hospital is received. He said that strict legal and departmental action would be taken against those found guilty.

Edited by Sneha.

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