PATNA: More than 150 students aged 6–14 fell ill at a govt middle school in Baluaha village in Saharsa district on Thursday after consuming mid-day meal allegedly contaminated by an insect or snake.Saharsa civil surgeon Dr Raj Narayan Prasad said the children were initially taken to Mahishi primary health center and later referred to Saharsa sadar hospital. Around 50 students complained of vomiting after the meal, while about 30 complained of stomach pain. All were discharged by Thursday night after treatment, he added.District magistrate Deepesh Kumar said several children fell ill after eating the meal and were shifted from the primary health center to the Sadar hospital as a precaution. “Some children had mild fever, but their condition improved quickly. There is no need to panic,” he said, adding that the children will remain under observation.Some parents claimed a snake was found in the container used to store cooked pulses at the school. They alleged that of the 545 students present, around 200 had already consumed the meal before the snake was spotted and later reported vomiting and stomach ache.Dr Prasad said, “The exact source of contamination is yet to be confirmed. Food samples have been sent for laboratory analysis, and results are expected on Friday.”This is the third such incident in the region this year. In Feb 2026, over 70 students fell ill in Madhepura after a lizard was allegedly found in their meal. Earlier, on January 18, around 50 students at Gahumani Itahari Middle School in the district also required medical attention following the mid-day meal, triggering allegations of negligence.(with inputs from PTI)
