70 students fall ill after consuming mid-day meal at govt school in Bihar's Madhepura

MADHEPURA: As many as 70 students fell ill on Saturday after consuming the mid-day meal at Upgraded Middle School in Karu Tola of Sahugarh village under Madhepura police station in the district. All the sick children were rushed to Sadar hospital. While most children were stable, one girl’s condition was reported to be serious. She is undergoing treatment under medical supervision.

Soon after having lunch, several children began vomiting and complained of stomach pain and uneasiness. Within minutes, more students showed similar symptoms, triggering panic on the school premises. Local residents suspect that a lizard may have fallen into the food. The mid-day meal is supplied to the school through Paras Agro, a voluntary organisation.


As soon as the incident came to light, the school administration alerted the education and health departments. Schoolteachers called ambulance and other private vehicles, and rushed all the sick students to Sadar hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, anxious parents gathered at the hospital, expressing anger over the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible.

District education officer (DEO) Sanjay Kumar also reached the hospital to take stock of the situation. He checked on the children, spoke to doctors, and interacted with their families. The DEO said, “All children are being provided proper treatment and there was no need to panic. The mid-day meal is distributed by an NGO. An inquiry into the alleged negligence has already begun. All aspects related to food quality, supply and distribution will be thoroughly investigated, and strict action will be taken against those found responsible.”