At least 98 students fell ill on Saturday after consuming a contaminated school meal at a government-run school in Odisha’s Koraput district, triggering panic among parents and raising serious concerns over food safety in the midday meal programme. The incident occurred at Baunsput Government Upper Primary School in the Bandhugan block, where students were served their morning meal between 8 am and 9 am. All the affected students were girls enrolled at the school.
Lizard Found After Several Students Had Eaten
According to local officials, the health scare came to light when one of the students discovered a dead lizard in her meal while eating. By the time the contamination was noticed, many students had already finished their food. Soon after, several children began complaining of nausea, dizziness, and stomach discomfort.
The students immediately informed the school authorities. The headmaster alerted nearby health officials and requested urgent medical assistance. However, before the medical team could reach the campus, a large number of students had already started showing symptoms of food poisoning.
Medical Teams Rush In, Students Treated
A medical team was dispatched to the school and provided emergency treatment to the affected students. Some of the children were later shifted to nearby health centres for observation, while others were treated on campus. Doctors said the students are currently stable, but many remain under medical supervision as a precautionary measure.
