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Death toll of students eating suspected poisonous food at a public school in the eastern Indian state of Bihar rose to 21, local police said Wednesday.
About 27 others, including a woman cook, were taken seriously ill and have been shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital ( PMCH) in capital of Bihar state.
The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon in Dharamsati primary school in Masrakh in Saran district of Bihar, one of the poorest states of India, according to local TV Times Now. The TV channel quoted police as saying over 50 children aged from 9 to 12 fell sick and began vomiting and losing conscience after consuming khichdi, a local food made of rice and bean at the school for midday meal.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has offered a compensation of 200,000 rupees (3,300 U.S. dollars) for each victim.
In Bihar, which is one of the poorest states of India, widespread corruption is reported in the mid-day meal scheme and government guidelines on food quality are ignored, said Indo-Asian News Service.
In the past, dead lizards, frogs, insects and a rat were found in food cooked for the mid-day meal, angering students and parents, according to the news service.
Hundreds of people took to the streets in protest and surrounded the local police station asking for the arrest of the principal of the school and teachers responsible for the tragedy.
Forensic team has been sent to take sample of the contaminated food and blood from the school children.
