Raipur: In a disturbing incident from Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district, 65 schoolchildren became ill after consuming a mid-day meal that contained a dead lizard.
The incident occurred on Thursday at Gajadharpur Turripani Primary School, situated in the remote Kusmi block of the district.
Officials reported that the children were promptly taken to the Kusmi Community Health Centre, where they received initial treatment and were discharged the following day. A girl student first discovered the dead lizard in her meal and alerted the caretaker, prompting all 65 students to stop eating and seek medical attention.
By the time the lizard was identified, many children had already eaten the meal, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Concerned school staff notified the Block Education Officer (BEO) and coordinated the transportation of the children to the health center with the assistance of their families.
Rampath Yadav, the BEO for Kusmi block, confirmed the incident, stating, “A girl noticed the lizard in her plate. We have launched an inquiry to find out how it got into the food.” An investigation into the matter is underway.
At the health center, children received treatment. “Some children reported stomach pain; about 10 felt nauseous, and two required intravenous fluids. They were kept under medical observation in a nearby tribal hostel until Friday morning, after which all were discharged,” Dr. Basant Singh, chief medical officer of Balrampur, told IANS. However, one child’s condition was notably more severe, but he showed improvement following treatment.
BEO Rampath Yadav mentioned that three assistants are responsible for preparing the mid-day meal, and it is suspected that the lizard accidentally fell into the food during cooking.
On the day of the incident, 101 children were present at the school, despite an official registration of about 150. Lalit Yadav, the police station in-charge of Kusmi, stated that a written complaint had been lodged by the school teacher and that authorities will investigate further to determine whether the incident was accidental or intentional.