Thane civic school's 41 students hospitalised with food poisoning symptoms

The children from the civic-run school in the Diva-Agasan area complained of upset stomachs after having the mid-day meal on the premises.

At least 41 students of a civic school in Thane district of Maharashtra have been hospitalised after they showed symptoms of food poisoning on Thursday, an official said, reported the PTI.

The children from the civic-run school in the Diva-Agasan area complained of upset stomachs after having the mid-day meal on the premises. All are stable, said the senior official from the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), according to the PTI.

A team of doctors from the corporation-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj hospital in Kalwa was sent to the school to provide preliminary treatment.

Later, 41 students were taken to the Kalwa hospital for observation, said Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Health) GG Godepure.

TMC Commissioner Saurabh Rao said the trouble began after students from Standards V to VII consumed the 'khichdi' (a rice and lentil dish) served to them as part of the mid-day meal, as per the PTI.

"All the students are stable now," he said, as per the PTI.

The TMC chief said that officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected the kitchen and other cooking facilities and collected samples of the khichdi. Action will taken after an inquiry, said Saurabh Rao, the news agency reported on Thursday.

In an another similar incident, earlier this month, over thirty-eight students from a school in Thane's Kharegaon-Kalwa were hospitalised following a case of suspected food poisoning on Octorber 1.

The students fell ill after consuming 'khichdi' and 'usal' served during lunch at the school as part of their mid-day meal.

The incident had occurred at a private school in Kalwa area of Thane district in Maharashtra, the officials said earlier said.

As their condition worsened, the students complained of dizziness, nausea, headaches, and severe abdominal pain. They were immediately admitted to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital, Kalwa, where they were reported to be in stable condition, the officials had said.

A medical officer at the hospital added that while the children are out of danger, food samples have been collected for testing to determine the exact cause. Local civic authorities and the police have launched an investigation into the matter.

(with PTI inputs)

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