Over 100 students fall ill after eating food at state-run school in Odisha; 1 dead, CM orders probe

Bhubaneswar/Baripada: Over 100 students fell ill and one of them, a Class 5 student, died on Tuesday, two days after having a meal at a government-run tribal residential school in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, following which Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered a probe, officials said.

Officials said the students of the Kakabandha Ashram School complained of discomfort and fell ill after eating food items "not mentioned in the authorised menu" on Sunday morning. Their parents claimed the children had fermented rice ('pakhala'), mashed potatoes, and mango chutney, following which they suffered from loose motion and vomiting.

More than 100 students were rushed to the local community health centre, and 67 of them were transferred to PMR Medical College and Hospital in Baripada in serious condition, officials noted. "Rupali Besra, a Class 5 student, had to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital on Monday. Despite continuous medical intervention, she died on Tuesday morning," said Mayurbhanj District Collector Hema Kanta Say.

"At present, 66 students are undergoing treatment at the hospital, while another 41 are admitted to the community health centre. One medical team has been sent to the health centre while another is camping at the school," the officer added.

Late on Tuesday night, the chief minister expressed his sorrow over the loss of the student and instructed the revenue divisional commissioner for the central division to investigate the circumstances that led to the death and the illnesses.

"The RDC will visit Rasgobindpur on Wednesday morning to investigate the incident," a statement from the CMO said, adding that Majhi announced assistance of Rs 3 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) for the next of kin of the deceased.

With a medical team already looking after the ill students, Majhi directed the Joint Director of IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme) and another doctor to rush to the field immediately.

The district collector said more students are being admitted to the hospital. "Besides the police probe, we will conduct an independent inquiry, as it was alleged that the headmaster provided food not mentioned in the menu. Action will be taken against the teachers and officials responsible for the incident," he told reporters.

A police case has been registered based on a complaint lodged by the deceased's mother, the district collector added.

Meanwhile, angry villagers blocked the Rasgovindpur-Jaleswar road on Tuesday, demanding compensation for the deceased's family and action against those responsible for the incident.

The school's headteacher, Jayant Kumar Panigrahi, has been suspended on charges of negligence on duty, and the government has announced Rs 7 lakh ex gratia to the family of the deceased student, officials said.

Odisha Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra visited the hospitalised students and spoke with their parents.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das said in a post on X, "Deeply anguished by the death of a student due to suspected food poisoning at Kakibandha Ashram School, Baripada where over 100 students have also fallen ill. This points to gross negligence and a serious systemic failure. Those responsible must be held accountable, and immediate action is essential to ensure student safety".