34 students taken ill after drinking contaminated water in a school

School children falling sick after drinking contaminated water from hand pumps continued for the third consecutive day on Saturday with at least 34 more students taken ill in different parts of Bihar. At least 24 children complained of vomiting and stomach ache after drinking water from a hand pump in the government middle school Biraul in Darbhanga district.

Besides the children, a teacher and the cook of mid day meal in the same school also complained of vomiting and stomach ache, In-charge of midday meal Sardul Hassan said. He said all of them were taken to Biraul primary health centre. Hassan said the hand pump has been sealed for probe.

A report from Jehanabad said that 10 students fell sick after drinking water from a hand pump in the premises of a primary school at Nonhi Mathia under Kako block of Jehanabad district. Sub Divisional Officer Manoranjan Kumar said the ailing children were taken to Jehanabad sadar hospital where all of them have been reported out of danger. He said the hand pump has been sealed and its water send for test.

In Samastipur, five sulphas tablets were found from the hand pump installed in a government school premises in Pagra village in Dalsinsarai block. Sub Divisional Officer of Samastipur Varun Kumar Mishra said that on the complaint of school principal he reached the school and on opening the hand pump, five sulphas tablets were found inside it.

Panic spread in a government middle school in Lalganj block of Vaishali after red colour water came out hand pump installed in the school premises. On hearing the news, Sub Divisional Officer reached the school and after taking water sample sealed the hand pump. After the tragic death of 23 children at a Chhapra school after eating mid day meal, there have been spate of complaints of children falling sick after drinking water from hand pumps in their school across the state.

More than 55 children had suffered ailment at Sitamarhi yesterday. Expressing grave concerns over the incidents, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has asked the administration and locals "to keep an eye over elements indulging in such dastardly act of mixing poison in hand pump."