33 students of government school fall ill after lizard found in mid-day meal

Altogether 33 students of a government primary school in Vaishali district of Bihar on Friday reported ill after consuming mid-day meal (MDM) in which a lizard was found.

Vaishali District Magistrate (DM) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said the incident happened at the primary school at Rasoolpur Gorigama village under Goraul block of the district.

"The school students had finished their meals, when somebody saw a lizard in the leftover food. Soon the kids started vomiting and complaining of stomach ache," Gunjiyal told PTI. The children were rushed to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Goraul for treatment.

The news of lizard in the MDM spread like wildfire and villagers and anxious parents gathered at the hospital. "All the 33 kids are out of danger, though doctors are taking precaution and keeping them under observation. Their parents are also present. Our senior officers including the Civil Surgeon, MDM in-charge, District Education Officer and Sub-divisional Magistrate are also present and keeping a watch on the situation," added the Vaishali DM.

Gunjiyal said an investigation into the entire episode has been launched, and he suspected foul play in it.

"The NGO which supplies the MDM to schools in the area, supplied food to this school also. There were no illnesses reported from other schools. We will also probe whether somebody did a mischief by dropping a lizard in the leftover food," added the DM.

Twenty-five students of a middle school fell ill in Siwan district on July 11 after consuming food in which a lizard had fallen. Earlier on July 5, 54 students of a primary school in Sitamarhi district were hospitalised after consuming food in which a snake was discovered. The most devastating of such incidents happened in July 2013 when 23 kids died at a primary school at Dharmasati Gandaman village in Saran district after consuming MDM laced with pesticides.