New Delhi: At least 100 students fell sick on Saturday in Bihar’s Araria district after a government school served them mid-day meal in which a dead snake was found.

As per the news agency IANS, the state Education Deparment said the number of children to fall sick after consuming the food was only 30 and all of them were admitted to Forbisganj sub-divisional hospital for treatment.

The education department added that all the kids were out of danger.

The ‘irresponsible’ act took place at Amauna middle school under Jogbani police station area of the district. In its defence, the school said the meal (Kichdi) was supplied to them through a outsourcing agency.

Soon after the information spread about the deteriorating health of the kids, villagers rushed to the school to check upon their children.

“It is shocking that a snake was found in the mid-day meal. We have initiated an inquiry into the matter. Action will be initiated against the agency based on the probe report. The conditions of students are out of danger,” said Surendra Albela, SDO of Forbesganj.

The official department and the DEO visited the students in hospital and the school where they met staff and took a stock of the situation.

Who to blame?

In a report of the Hindustan Times, the school administration claimed that they have complained many times against the bad quality of the food to the NGO that supplied the food.

Meanwhile, the NGO tried to sidelined itself saying that they are unaware how the dead snake was found in the meal.

This is not the first when children’s health was put on risk but there were many instances earlier where meal of poor quality was served to kids. Earlier in Bihar’s Siwan, insects were found in the eggs served with the mid-day meals.