Palghar food poisoning: 150 students of ashram schools still under observation

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Nearly 150 students from ashram schools who suffered from Palghar food poisoning were still under observation at various hospitals in Maharashtra's Palghar district and their condition was stable, an official said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.

On Tuesday, as many as 250 students from 20 ashram schools (residential facilities for tribal pupils) in Dahanu taluka fell ill due to Palghar food poisoning and were rushed to nearby health facilities by their teachers for treatment, reported PTI.

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They complained of health complications like nausea, vomiting and giddiness within a couple of hours of having dinner sourced from a central kitchen at Kalamgaon on Monday, as per officials.

Dahanu tribal development project officer Dr Satyam Gandhi told PTI on Wednesday morning that nearly 150 students were still under observation at various medical facilities while the others were discharged.

"No one is serious or severely ill," he said, reported PTI.

The tribal development department authorities have been asked to collect the data of students still being treated at the health facilities, he said, reported PTI.

"Samples of the food supplied to students in the ashram schools were being tested and only after the test reports, we will be able to say what triggered the complications," the official said, reported PTI.

District Collector Govind Bodke on Tuesday said after being informed about the incident, he, accompanied by senior officials of the district, visited health centres where students were admitted and also inspected the central kitchen from where food items were sourced, reported PTI.

State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and police personnel collected the food samples and sent them to laboratories for testing, the collector informed.

He said the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) concerned will carry out an investigation into the incident, while the FDA and police will conduct their independent probes, reported PTI.

The affected ashram schools were functioning under the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) and located in Dahanu, Palghar, Talasari and Vasai talukas of the district, Resident Deputy Collector Subhash Bhagade said.

(With inputs from PTI)