Bihar: Schoolkids ask for extra salt, cook mistakenly gives them detergent. 34 land in hospital

On Tuesday, a school in Noorsarai block, Nalanda district, Bihar, experienced an unfortunate incident at a government school during the mid-day meal. The unfortunate event occurred when a cook mistakenly substituted detergent powder for extra salt, requested by a student. Fourteen-year-old accidents affected 34 children, with an equal number of boys and girls from the Middle School, Parasi, falling ill.

The affected students, all in good health, were transported to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital after developing health issues. The meal, provided by the Ekta Shakti Foundation through a centralised kitchen, contained rice and soybean-potato curry. According to the school headmaster, Shailendra Kumar Singh, students began demanding extra salt during the second sitting, causing the cook to mistakenly add detergent powder to their food.

The headmaster informed local reporters that the school serves meals in multiple intervals, and the incident happened during the second meal. After the meal, the affected students were given warm salt water and then taken to the hospital. Doctors found all the affected children healthy and stable, with no adverse health effects.

The district administration, education department, and Bihar Minister Shravan Kumar visited the hospital to ensure that the children received proper treatment. No FIR or complaint has been registered in the case.