More than 300 students of a government middle school in Baluaha village under Mahishi block in Saharsa district fell ill on Thursday after allegedly consuming a mid-day meal contaminated with a dead snake, triggering panic and prompting an official investigation.According to police and district officials, the incident occurred around 10 am at a school with an enrolment of nearly 600 students. Soon after eating the mid-day meal, several children began complaining of stomach pain and nausea, leading to a rapid escalation in symptoms among a large group of students.

The affected children were immediately rushed to the Mahishi Primary Health Centre (PHC) for treatment, while some with more severe symptoms were later shifted to Saharsa district hospital. Medical authorities have confirmed that all the children are currently out of danger and are under observation.District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar visited the health facilities to review the situation and assured that all students were safe. He directed the District Education Officer to file an FIR against the NGO responsible for supplying the mid-day meal as well as the school management, and announced that a probe team would be constituted to investigate the lapse.

Police officials said the mass illness occurred shortly after the meal was served, and preliminary reports suggest that a dead snake was allegedly found in the food served to the students. The exact source of contamination, however, is yet to be officially confirmed.District Education Officer Hemchandra said officials were stationed at the PHC to monitor the situation closely and coordinate relief measures. He added that a formal investigation has been ordered to determine how the contamination occurred and whether negligence was involved.

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Parents and guardians rushed to the school after news of the incident spread, causing further alarm in the village. Health officials later confirmed that while many children experienced symptoms, none of the cases were critical, and all students were responding well to treatment.The incident has once again raised serious concerns over the quality and safety of the mid-day meal scheme in government schools, prompting demands for stricter monitoring and accountability mechanisms to prevent such occurrences in the future.

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