{
  "id": 1265089,
  "title": "'Girls laugh, cry, then go numb': 608 flee Maha school amid 'mass hysteria'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/girls-laugh-cry-then-go-numb-608-flee-maha-school-amid-mass-hysteria",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-16T02:18:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/girls-laughing-crying-then-going-numb-608-flee-maharashtra-school-amid-mass-hysteria/articleshow/133268961.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Maharashtra’s Amravati district, a government ashram school in a tribal-dominated village witnessed a mass hysteria that saw 608 students flee after some girls started laughing without reason and then abruptly became silent. Rumors spread rapidly, causing villagers and parents to believe the school premises were haunted. Officials and doctors visited the school, labeling the girls’ behavior as mass hysteria, a phenomenon medically characterized as mass psychogenic illness. The episode began over a week ago when 16 students started crying, laughing, and then went numb. Some students claimed they heard ghungroos, or bells, echoing in the air. The rumors quickly spread from the hostel corridors to the village, sparking fear and prompting officials to intervene. State tribal commissioner Leena Rathod visited the village to assess the situation, while Dr. Abhishek Naidu, the taluka medical officer, attributed the reaction to stress and anxiety, a condition recognized as mass psychogenic illness. The incident exposed several management flaws at the school, such as overcrowded rooms, poor-quality food, and inadequate sanitation, along with a lack of timely intervention after the first case of distress. Headmaster Sanjay Chaudhari dismissed claims that the episode was triggered by the felling of a mahua tree on the campus, which had been cut six years earlier. A team from the Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, a rationalist group, provided counseling to the students. Ganesh Halkare, a state executive committee member of the group, suggested the district administration would launch a wider awareness campaign across Melghat to counter superstition.",
  "summary": "Students fled a school in Melghat fearing spirits after experiencing laughing fits. Officials diagnosed the unusual behavior as mass psychogenic illness, a collective stress reaction. The incident highlighted existing management issues at the Doma village ashram school. Overcrowding and poor sanitation contributed to the students' anxiety and fear. Authorities plan awareness drives to combat…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}