Children die from food poisoning in school

Political mud sling begins between leaders.

Twenty school children have died after allegedly succumbing to food poisoning from a mid-day meal served by their school near the city of Chhapra in the northern state of Bihar. “The doctors did their best to save the children, but there was so much poison in their food that the doctors couldn't save them all," said Abhijeet Sinha, Chhapra's District Magistrate. . Another 35 children were admitted to a local hospital. The school children fell ill after consuming a meal of rice and vegetables, sources told The Times of India. Villagers believed that the mustard oil used to cook the vegetables was “foul smelling” and could be the culprit behind the deadly reaction. Lalu Prasad, former CM , has said that the deaths were a result of poor quality food being supplied by an NGO in collusion with education department officials. Many of India’s state governments have launched free mid-day meal programs for poor children to address malnutrition and promote enrollment numbers.