27 students vomit, fall ill after mid-day meal at Rajasthan school

Officials said the children, all from Classes 1 to 8, developed symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach ache and dizziness. While 27 students reported discomfort, 21 were taken to Kota for treatment after some developed severe complications. All of them are now stated to be in stable condition.School principal Chandra Prakash said the school had been dismissed and the children were about to leave for home when several students complained of feeling unwell. (Image used for representation)At least 27 students fell ill on Monday after allegedly consuming a mid-day meal at a government school in Rajasthan's Kota district, prompting officials to order an inquiry into the cause of the incident.Officials said the children, all from Classes 1 to 8, developed symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach ache and dizziness. While 27 students reported discomfort, 21 were taken to Kota for treatment after some developed severe complications. All of them are now stated to be in stable condition.According to officials and school staff, 110 of the 130 enrolled students were present at the Government Upper Primary School in Poonia Devli village in the Ranpur police station area when the mid-day meal, which included a pumpkin preparation, was served. About two hours later, around 1 pm, several children started showing symptoms of suspected food poisoning.School principal Chandra Prakash said the school had been dismissed and the children were about to leave for home when several students complained of feeling unwell. He said those with severe symptoms were immediately taken to Kota city. Of them, 17 were shifted to the government-run New Medical College Hospital, where four were admitted to a ward and the others were kept under medical observation, while four children were admitted to a private hospital. He added that all the children were now stable. The mother of one of the affected students said, "My son Rahul, a Class 4 student, felt dizzy after eating the pumpkin curry and collapsed. He managed to come home, but his condition deteriorated rapidly, so we brought him to the dispensary and then to a hospital in Kota." She also claimed that no teacher or school staff member accompanied them to the medical facility.District Education Officer (Elementary) Rup Singh Meena visited the hospital to assess the children's condition and monitor their recovery. He said that although 27 students had reported discomfort, the majority were stable and under observation, with only four to five requiring formal admission. He also said an inquiry had been started to find out what caused the illness. Meena said the mid-day meal had been prepared and supplied by Annapurna Sahakari Samiti to eight or nine schools, and students in those schools had also eaten the same food, but no other complaints had been reported. He said it was too early to say conclusively that the mid-day meal alone had caused the illness. Officials were also examining whether extreme heat, humidity or contamination in local water could have contributed to the incident. He added that medical teams had been sent to the school and that formal conclusions would be drawn only after laboratory and medical test reports were received.According to attending medical officer Dr Mayank, the main symptom reported by the students was vomiting, with most of them having one or two episodes. He said all admitted children were in stable condition and had normal vital signs. The medical team had given symptomatic treatment to control vomiting and discomfort, and a detailed report on the incident and medical findings had been sent to the hospital superintendent.Officials are continuing to monitor the students and investigate whether the illness was caused by contaminated food, water or other factors, while all affected children remain in a stable condition.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 24, 2026 23:23 IST