Kullu: At least 38 children of a govt primary school in Manali subdivision fell ill after eating kheer served as part of midday meal on Tuesday.According to parents, children began vomiting soon after having the kheer in the school in Bari village, around 20km south of Manali. Parents allege that teachers didn’t inform them for two hours and then asked them to take the kids home. Some of the kids had begun collapsing in a semi-conscious state when villagers informed parents.“All the children started vomiting and suffered from dysentery soon after eating kheer at 1pm. Their condition worsened after 2pm but instead of taking them to hospital and informing parents immediately, the teachers started calling at 3pm, nearly two hours later,” said a woman, whose child is hospitalised.Panchayat representatives and parents rushed to the school and took the kids to a govt hospital in nearby Patlikuhal.According to officials, 38 students were admitted, five of whom were referred to Kullu Regional Hospital, 30km away. Twenty students were discharged from the Patlikuhal hospital on Wednesday and the rest are still being treated.A doctor at CHC Patlikuhal said it appears to be a case of food poisoning, though contaminated water is also a suspect. An official said the quality of milk or rice could also be one of the reasons, and the investigation will reveal the exact cause.Manali MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur met the children and their families in hospital on Tuesday. Parents demanded that the administration test samples of the food served under midday meal and the water and milk used at the school. They demand a thorough investigation into the cause of the illness. Gaur promised an inquiry and said action would be taken against those found responsible.Former BJP Manali MLA Govind Thakur also visited the hospital on Wednesday, and demanded a magisterial inquiry.
