34 children fall ill after having midday meals

Belagavi: About 34 students suffered from stomach pain after eating midday meals at the government higher primary school at Laknayakankop village in Ramdurg taluk on Wednesday.
All were rushed to the Ramdurg Taluk Hospital and are said to be out of danger. The students were provided food cooked in the kitchen in the school premises.

Headmaster Siddappa Dodamani said two of the students who fell ill were already not feeling well when they came to school. “All students consumed the food at 1.30pm and nothing happened to any kid. But when these two students vomited around 4.30pm, 32 other kids too started complaining about stomach pain due to phobia and started crying. We immediately took them to the taluk hospital for treatment,” he said.

However parents have alleged that quality food is not being prepared at the school and urged that the cooks at the school be replaced.

Block education officer Hanamantgouda Miraji said, “Everyday they prepare rice and sambar but on Wednesday they had prepared pulao. During a preliminary probe, we found that the rice was not boiled properly. We have collected food samples and have sent it to higher officials in Belagavi for testing.”

“Only three students have been kept in the hospital for observation and the rest have been sent home,” he added.