40 Bihar students fall ill after detergent allegedly served with midday meal

Patna: At least 40 students of a government school in Bihar’s Nalanda district fell ill after detergent powder was allegedly served instead of salt with their midday meal, officials said.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at Parasi Middle School under the jurisdiction of Noorsarai police station. The affected students complained of stomach pain and vomiting after eating the meal and were taken to Bihar Sharif Model Hospital for treatment.

According to a teacher, the midday meal had been prepared and supplied by another school. As the soybean vegetable reportedly contained insufficient salt, some students asked for additional salt.

The teacher said detergent powder was mistakenly served to the children in place of salt. The students consumed the food without realising the error and began falling ill shortly afterwards.

As the number of affected students increased, school authorities arranged for their transportation to the hospital. Worried parents and relatives also rushed to the facility after receiving information about the incident.

Doctors, including Nalanda Civil Surgeon Jai Prakash Singh, monitored the students and began treatment. Singh said all the children were safe and were being kept under observation.

“All the children are safe and are receiving treatment,” he said, assuring the families that medical teams were taking all necessary steps for their recovery.

Bihar Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar visited the hospital after learning about the incident. He met the students and reviewed the medical arrangements made for them.

“We have directed the hospital management to ensure proper treatment for every child,” Kumar said, adding that strict action would be taken against those found responsible.

The minister also stressed that greater care must be taken while preparing and serving meals to schoolchildren.

The incident has raised questions about the storage and handling of detergent and food ingredients at the school, as well as the process followed for preparing and supplying the midday meal.

Authorities are expected to investigate how the detergent powder was kept near the food items and how it came to be served to the students. The administration is also likely to examine the role of the school and the institution responsible for supplying the meal.

Officials said the affected students would continue to be monitored at the hospital. Further action is expected after the inquiry establishes the circumstances that led to the mix-up and fixes responsibility.