27 students fall ill after mid-day meal at Kota school; probe ordered

At least 27 students fell ill after allegedly consuming a mid-day meal at a government school in a village here on Monday, prompting officials to launch an inquiry into the cause, officials said.

Over two dozen students from classes 1-8 at Government Upper Primary School in Poonia Devli village, under Ranpur police station area, suffered nausea, vomiting, stomach aches and dizziness, according to officials.

Of these, 21 were rushed to Kota as complications worsened, with 17 undergoing treatment at the government-run New Medical College Hospital and four admitted to a private hospital. All the children are now said to be in stable condition, officials said.

According to officials and school staff, 110 of the school's 130 enrolled students were present when the mid-day meal, which included a pumpkin preparation, was served. Roughly two hours later, around 1 pm, several children began exhibiting symptoms of food poisoning.

School principal Chandra Prakash said the school had been dismissed and children were preparing to leave for home when several of them complained of feeling unwell. Those showing severe symptoms were immediately taken to Kota city, with 17 shifted to New Medical College Hospital, where four were admitted to a ward and others kept under medical observation, he said, adding that the condition of all the children is now stable.

The mother of one affected student said her son, a Class 4 student, felt dizzy after eating the pumpkin curry and collapsed. She said he managed to reach home but his condition deteriorated rapidly, following which the family took him to a local dispensary and then to a hospital in Kota. She alleged that no teacher or school staff member accompanied them to the medical facility.

District Education Officer (Elementary) Rup Singh Meena visited the hospital to assess the children's condition and monitor their recovery. He confirmed that while 27 students reported discomfort, a majority were stable and under observation, with only four to five requiring formal admission. He said an inquiry has been initiated to determine the cause of the illness.

According to Meena, the mid-day meal was prepared and supplied by Annapurna Sahakari Samiti to eight or nine schools, and all students at these schools consumed the same food, but children at other schools reported no illness. He said it was too early to conclusively attribute the illness solely to the mid-day meal, adding that officials are also examining whether extreme heat, humidity or local water contamination contributed to the incident.

Medical teams have been deployed to the school, and formal conclusions await laboratory and medical test reports, the official said.

Dr Mayank, the attending medical officer, said the primary symptom reported by students was vomiting, with most experiencing one to two episodes, and that all admitted children currently have normal vital signs. He said the medical team administered symptomatic treatment to manage vomiting and discomfort, and that a detailed report on the incident and medical findings has been forwarded to the hospital superintendent.

Health authorities said they are monitoring the situation to determine whether contaminated food or water triggered the outbreak, as the precise cause remains under investigation.

(Inputs from PTI)