Bihar Mid-Day Meal Horror: More Than 2 Dozen Students Fall Ill After Detergent Is Added Instead of Salt (Video)
More than two dozen students fell ill after eating a mid-day meal at Madhya Vidyalaya Parasi in Bihar's Nursarai area. The children complained of vomiting and dizziness after detergent was allegedly used instead of salt in soybean rice. They were taken to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital, where the civil surgeon said all were out of danger.
More than two dozen students fell ill after eating a mid-day meal at Madhya Vidyalaya Parasi in Bihar's Nursarai police station area on Tuesday, August 18, with children reporting vomiting and dizziness. The students were taken to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment under medical supervision. Civil Surgeon Dr. Jaiprakash Singh also visited the hospital and said all the children were out of danger.
According to the school principal, the children were served soybean rice supplied through a nearby NGO. The incident allegedly occurred after students complained that the food lacked salt. Salt and detergent containers were reportedly kept in the same place in the school kitchen, leading the cook to mistakenly add detergent, instead of salt, to the meal. Food Poisoning in Bihar: Over 250 Children Fall Ill After Eating Mid-Day Meal in Saharsa.
More Than 2 Dozen Students Fall Ill After Detergent Is Added Instead of Salt
बिहार के नालंदा में मिड–डे मील में एक्स्ट्रा नमक मांगने पर उसकी जगह सर्फ मिला दिया गया। 20 से ज्यादा बच्चे बीमार हुए, अस्पताल में भर्ती कराए। pic.twitter.com/twlxHW01Qf
— Sachin Gupta (@Sachingupta) August 18, 2026
Children Fall Ill After Eating Mid-Day Meal
School Principal Shailendra Kumar Singh explained that the midday meal comes from a nearby NGO. On Tuesday, the children were served soybean rice as per the menu. Some children had already eaten. Then, students in the second row began eating. Meanwhile, the children complained about the lack of salt in the food.
The salt and detergent containers were kept in the same place in the kitchen. After the children complained, the cook mistakenly replaced the salt with detergent and served the food. Food Poisoning in Bihar: Over 70 School Children Fall Ill After Eating Mid-Day Meal at Upgraded Middle School in Madhepura, Probe On.
Vomiting And Dizziness After Eating
After some time of eating the food, the children started vomiting and feeling dizzy. An attempt was made to provide first aid at the school level, but when the condition did not improve, the children were sent to Sadar Hospital.
The children admitted in the hospital include Preeti Kumari (11) father Dharmendra Malakar, Ayushi Kumari (12) father Rajniti Kumar, Lakshmi Kumari (11) father Jitendra Bind, Neetu Kumari, Shivani Kumari (10) father Ramesh Malakar, Chandni Kumari (13) father Chandan Kumar, Sajani Kumari, Suhani (13) father Manish Kumar, Anu Kumari (15) father Mahesh Prasad, Rakhi Kumari (11) father Rakesh Malakar and Vaishnavi Kumari, along with more than two dozen students.
The children are being treated at Biharsharif Sadar Hospital. Civil Surgeon Dr. Jaiprakash Singh reached the hospital after receiving information about the incident and took stock of the students' condition. He said that all the children are out of danger.
Principal Explains How Detergent Got Into Food
The school principal said the containers for salt and detergent were kept in the same place in the kitchen. "The containers for salt and detergent were kept in the same place in the kitchen. After the children complained, the cook mistakenly replaced the salt with detergent and served the food, " said Principal Shailendra Kumar Singh.
Families Create Ruckus At Hospital
Upon receiving information about the children's arrival at Sadar Hospital, their parents also began arriving. The family got angry after seeing two or three girls on one bed. The family members created a ruckus at the hospital, claiming that adequate arrangements had not been made despite the large number of children requiring treatment.
Upon receiving information about the commotion, Civil Surgeon Dr. Jaiprakash Singh assured the family of better treatment. After this, the family members calmed down.
Children Reach Hospital By E-Rickshaw And Auto-Rickshaw
The incident has also raised questions about emergency arrangements at the local health facility. The civil surgeon and hospital management were informed of the children's illness. Despite this, Nursarai Hospital did not send an ambulance or medical team to the school to retrieve the children, according to the information provided. Unable to find an ambulance, the families took their children to Sadar Hospital via toto and tempo (e-rickshaw and auto-rickshaw).
The families also raised questions on the hospital's arrangements. Hospitals are equipped with ambulances and medical teams to handle emergencies. Questions are being raised about the local hospital's failure to send an ambulance despite receiving information about the children's illness.
Family members say that if the ambulance and medical team had arrived on time, the children could have received immediate medical assistance. The incident has brought attention to two issues: the alleged mixing-up of detergent and salt in the school kitchen and the emergency response after the students began falling ill. Further details on any official inquiry or action against those responsible were not provided in the information available.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2026 05:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
