40 students take ill after eating midday meal in Yadgir dist.

As many as 40 students of government girls high school at Kembhavi in Shorapur taluk of Yadgir district took ill on Saturday after consuming midday meal.

As many as 40 students of government girls high school at Kembhavi in Shorapur taluk of Yadgir district took ill on Saturday after consuming midday meal.

The school authorities had prepared ‘upma’ for the students.

“The food was served to 40 students, and one of them found in her plate a tail-like thing that appeared to be of a lizard. Soon after that the students experienced uneasiness, and five of them threw up. All students were taken to the primary health centre at Kembhavi for treatment,” Manjunath H.T., Deputy Director of Public Instruction, has told The Hindu over phone.

He said that 11 students were still in hospital, while the rest had been discharged. The food had been sent for tests.

“We’ll be able to know what really happened after the receipt of the report,” the DDPI said and added that show-cause notices would be served on the headmaster and the kitchen staff.

The State Children’s Rights Protection Commission has sought a report on the incident.

Shashidhar Kosumbe, commission member, in a release, said that he had spoken to the DDPI and sought action against those responsible for the incident and directed him to take steps to ensure that such cases didn’t recur.