Muzaffarpur, Aug 31: Panic gripped a government primary school in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district after a dead lizard was allegedly found in khichdi being served to students under the mid-day meal scheme, following which 39 children were taken to a primary health centre for examination, officials said.
The incident occurred at Government Primary School, Pipra Asli, Ward-7, under the Rajepur OP area of Sahebganj block.
According to head teacher Rameshwar Kumar, the dead lizard was spotted in the food while cooks were serving the mid-day meal to students.
“During the mid-day meal, the cooks were serving food to the children. During this, a dead lizard was seen lying in the food,” Kumar said.
The meal distribution was immediately stopped after the contamination was noticed. Around half a dozen children who were eating the food were taken away from the meal, he said.
“After this, about half a dozen children who were eating the food were immediately picked up and the serving of food was stopped,” Kumar said.
The incident triggered panic among students and parents, with family members rushing to the school after learning about the suspected contamination. Some children subsequently complained of stomach pain, while reports also emerged of vomiting and diarrhoea.
The children were taken to Sahibganj Primary Health Centre (PHC), where doctors examined them.
“A total of 39 children had arrived at the hospital. All were examined,” a doctor at the PHC said.
The doctor said some children complained of stomach pain, while others were found to be fine and were discharged after examination.
“Some children complained of stomach pain, while others were fine and were discharged,” the doctor said.
Importantly, doctors said there were no signs of poisoning among the children and no toxic substance was detected during their examination.
“No toxic substances were found during the examination,” the doctor said.
The incident led to a commotion at both the school and the health centre as anxious parents gathered to check on their children.
Further details regarding the incident and any action over the alleged lapse in the preparation and serving of the mid-day meal were awaited.
