66 students fall sick after consuming dinner in Bihar school hostel

Over 60 students have fallen sick apparently due to food poisoning at a hostel of Popular Academy School situated at Madina Market in Baisi, around 360km northeast of Patna Sunday late evening. The children undergoing treatment at district hospital and Baisi public health centre (PHC) are said to be out of danger.

Baisi sub divisional officer (SDO) Sawan Kumar said, “In all 66 students were rushed to district hospital soon after they took their dinner and began complaining of giddiness, uneasiness and vomiting. All of them are safe and out of danger,” he said, pointing out that a police investigation was on to probe details of the incident.

Police said, in all 80 students lived in the school hostel at Baisi. Majority of them took ill within 5 to 15 minutes of taking the dinner. They were all rushed to Baisi Primary Health Centre (PHC).

Given the increasing number of sick students flowing in to the hospital, the civil surgeon sent a team of doctors to Baisi and later all of them were rushed to district hospital where they were given ample facilities to accommodate all children and given them the best treatment.

The hospital on Monday said that all children were safe and had been discharged.” It was case of food poisoning,” a senior doctor, who refused to be quoted said.

The hostel director, Wali Asgar blamed an outsider’s involvement behind the incident to defame his institution. He said “It was a pre-planned conspiracy to bring disrepute to the hostel running successfully since 2003.”

Baisi police investigating the case said, “Only after investigation FIR will be lodged against hostel director and others” Subhash Baidyanatham said.