Puri: A troubling incident occurred at Aragad Government Upper Primary School in Odisha’s Puri district, where 32 schoolchildren became ill after eating a mid-day meal.

Reports indicate that the students found a dead lizard in the food served under the school’s mid-day meal program. Following this discovery, many children began to exhibit symptoms such as severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. The affected students were quickly transported to the nearby Delanga Community Health Centre (CHC). Due to worsening conditions, six of these students were subsequently moved to the District Headquarters Hospital in Puri.

Health officials in the area have confirmed that, thanks to swift medical treatment involving IV fluids and other medications, most of the students are now stable, with ongoing monitoring of their health.

As news of the incident spread, worried parents and relatives hurried to both the school and the Delanga hospital. Outside the medical facility, tensions escalated as frustrated parents expressed their anger regarding the negligence of school authorities, demanding accountability from the teachers and the cook responsible for the meal preparation.

In response to the incident, educational and local administrative authorities have taken the matter seriously and initiated an inquiry. Officials have also promised to enforce stringent guidelines concerning food preparation and quality control to avert such safety issues in the future.