Nearly 80 Kids At UP Ashram School Report Food Poisoning Symptoms After Dinner. Investigation On

A notice regarding storage and kitchen deficiencies was issued to the school by the food safety department. Further action will be taken based on results of tests conducted on food samples.

Around 80 students fell ill with suspected food poisoning after dinner on Sunday at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Ashram Method Inter College in Mehroona village in UP's Deoria district. The children reported symptoms such as stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, but were stable after they received treatment, District Magistrate Divya Mittal said, as quoted by PTI. 

Aside from two students, Akash and Nitesh, who were taken to Maharishi Devraha Baba Medical College, others were treated at the school by a team of doctors led by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

In an official statement released Monday evening, it was said that all students were safe, but a medical team remained at the school as a precaution. Mittal told reporters that action would be taken against those found responsible.

On Sunday night, some students began to report vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, dizziness, and chills. As per PTI sources, the students had reportedly eaten 'poori' and 'chhola’. The meal had allegedly been prepared during the day, and was served again in the evening.

The school management provided medication for immediate relief and advised the students to rest until the morning. However, by Monday morning, the number of affected students rose to 80.

Food Samples Taken For Testing

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vipin Kumar Dwivedi and food inspector Vinay Kumar Sahay arrived at the scene as reports of the children's illness reached the authorities. The food inspector said that while most students were infected by food poisoning, some were affected by infectious diseases. 

Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety Vinay Kumar Sahay, in an official statement, said a team inspected the inter-college's kitchen and storage area. The team collected seven samples — prepared bread, lentils, vegetables, chilli powder, chickpeas, mustard oil, and mixed pickles — in the presence of the school's director, Rajkumar Gupta.

A notice regarding storage and kitchen deficiencies was issued to the school, PTI reported. The samples have been sent to a food laboratory for testing, and, based on the results, further action will be taken. 

As per PTI sources, the government-run ashram school has about 326 students enrolled from classes 6 to 12.