109 students fall ill at school in Thane district; food poisoning suspected

Thane: As many as 109 students of a private ashram school, including 63 girls, were rushed to a government hospital in Thane district after showing symptoms of food poisoning on Wednesday, an official said.

The ashram school (residential schools for tribal children) is located at Bhatsai in Shahapur taluka on the outskirts of Mumbai. Shahpur tehsildar Komal Thakur told PTI that barring four students, all were discharged from the hospital after treatment.

In the morning, students were served food brought from outside, including a sweet dish. After consuming the food, 109 students -- 63 girls and 46 boys -- complained of vomiting, nausea and giddiness, and they were immediately rushed to a government hospital, she said. Samples of food items served to the children were collected and sent for laboratory examination, said Thakur.

The local police were carrying out a probe into the incident, she added.