Bihar: Girl dies after suspected food poisoning at Supaul madrasa; three ill in Bhagalpur school
A 10-year-old girl died after a suspected food poisoning at a Supaul madrasa. In a separate Bhagalpur incident, three girls were hospitalised after drinking tea made with phenyl.
Two separate incidents in Bihar have raised concerns about safety at residential educational institutions, prompting official inquiries into both.
In Supaul, a 10-year-old girl died after she and two other students at a residential madrasa fell ill following dinner on Monday. The three were taken to a private medical facility, where the girl's condition deteriorated and she died during treatment on Tuesday. The other two students are reported to be stable.
A post-mortem has been conducted, and authorities have said the exact cause of death will be confirmed only after a full investigation. A representative of the madrasa, which houses around 60-65 girls and has been operating for about two years, said the deceased had been a resident for roughly one-and-a-half to two years.
The management stated that the students appeared well until Monday evening. The girl's mother had visited her earlier that day and given her sweets and a samosa brought from a fair. Later that night, the girls who had consumed these items became unwell.
Following the incident, a district education department team inspected the madrasa on the orders of the District Magistrate. Officials examined the institution's functioning, residential facilities, and documents, including whether it had the necessary permission to accommodate students. A preliminary assessment has suggested possible food poisoning.
In a separate incident in Bhagalpur's Naugachia area, three girls at a residential school were hospitalised after mistakenly using phenyl, which had been kept in a glass, as milk while preparing tea on Monday evening. They were initially treated at a local community health centre and later referred to a hospital in Bhagalpur, where they remain under medical supervision.
Police and the District Education Officer have sought details from the school management. Action will be taken after investigating how the phenyl came to be stored in a glass in the kitchen and whether any staff member was negligent.