45 children hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning after mid-day meal at Thane school

In a concerning incident near Thane city, Maharashtra, seven additional children have fallen ill due to suspected food poisoning after consuming a mid-day meal at a private school, raising the total number of hospitalized minors to 45. The affected children, aged between 8 and 11, were admitted to a civic hospital in Kalwa town after experiencing symptoms such as giddiness, nausea, headaches, and abdominal pain following lunch on Tuesday.

Initially, 38 students were hospitalized, but as the situation escalated, seven more children were admitted late Tuesday night. According to Dr. Aniruddha Malgaonkar, the medical in-charge at the hospital, the children are being closely monitored and are expected to be discharged by Wednesday afternoon if their condition improves. Fortunately, all the children are currently out of danger and responding well to treatment, as confirmed by Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) Additional Commissioner Sandeep Malvi.

The children had consumed a meal consisting of rice and moth bean (matki) curry at the school. Following the incident, officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) collected food samples for testing to determine the cause of the illness. Reports indicate that the first signs of uneasiness appeared in five students, but this number quickly increased.

In response, the school administration promptly called for ambulances, and the students were swiftly transported to the hospital. Parents of the affected children gathered at the hospital, anxious for updates on their children's health.