Now, 50 kids fall ill after mid-day meal in Bihar's Madhubani

As 22 students died after eating mid-day meal in Bihar's Chhapra, about 50 children of another government school were taken ill on Wednesday after they were served food under the scheme in Madhubani district of the state.

The food was served to students of Navtolia Middle School, Bisfi, about 22 km from Madhubani. The students alleged that the meal had a dead lizard in it.

Around 50 students complained of stomach ache and began vomitting after eating the mid-day meal. They were then rushed to Bisfi health centre, its medical officer in-charge A K Prabhat told reporters. "All the students are out of danger," he said.

Except for seven children, the rest have been discharged from the health centre, he said adding seven students, five of them girls, are being administered saline water.

District Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Singh and Circle Officer of Bisfi have reached the health centre to inquire into the matter.

Image: Schoolgirls eat their free mid-day meals, distributed by a government-run primary school

Photograph: Mansi Thapiyal/Reuters