- Hundreds of children fell ill after a baby snake was found in their mid-day meal in Saharsa district
- The incident happened at Middle School Baluaha in Mahishi block during Thursday's meal service
- Children began complaining of stomach pain soon after the snake was discovered in the food
Hundreds of children fell ill in Bihar's Saharsa district and have been hospitalised after a baby snake was found in the mid-day meal served to them.
The incident occurred at Middle School Baluaha, located in the Mahishi block of Saharsa. Like any other day, the mid-day meal, supplied by an NGO, was served to the schoolchildren on Thursday. As the food was served and the children started eating, a baby snake was found while food was being served to one of the students. Soon, almost all the children, one after another, began complaining of stomach pain.
Within a short time, dozens of children were writhing in agony due to the pain. The school administration immediately alerted the police and the hospital. The police arrived shortly and transported some of the children to the local health centre in their own vehicles. Subsequently, ambulances dispatched by the hospital arrived to transport the remaining children, where many of them remained in a critical condition for a considerable period.
Several of the ailing children were later referred to the Sadar Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Following the incident, the District Magistrate (DM) has sent an investigation team to the NGO's cluster, where mid-day meals are cooked for several local schools.
(With inputs from Kanhaiya Jee)
