Bihar: 50 children taken ill after eating mid-day meal

At least 50 children fell ill on Saturday after consuming contaminated mid-day meal at a primary school in Bihar's Sitamarhi district.

Sitamarhi Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) M N Upadhyaya said the incident happened at the school located at Belahi Nilkanth village under Runnisaidpur police station.

"The children started vomiting and feeling giddy after eating the mid-day meal. As information spread, panic broke out in the area and parents, local villagers and school teachers rushed the children to a nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC)," said the SDPO.

The doctors treated them immediately and their condition became normal in a couple of hours. They were discharged later. Police said food-poisoning is suspected in the incident and samples of the cooked food given to the children were being sent for forensic analysis.