Odisha: 1 dead, over 20 students fall ill after consuming food

Nayagarh: A girl student died on Sunday and over 20 other inmates of a government-run hostel for tribal girls in Odisha's Nayagarh district fell ill after consuming food at the residential school, officials said.

The inmates complained of nausea, vomiting, loose motion and fever after taking dinner last night at the girls' hostel located at Kendua under Ranapur block, Nayagarh district Collector Hemant Padhy said.

The affected inmates of the residential school run by ST/SC development department were immediately provided with necessary medical treatment and then rushed to the hospital at Tangi, he said. A Class IV student Mini Majhi, hailing from Mohana in Gajapati district, died this morning, Padhy said.

At present, 20 inmates were undergoing treatment at Tangi hospital and their condition was stated to be stable, he said. Efforts were on to ascertain the exact reason behind the hostel inmates falling ill, the Collector said as only 25 of the 62 inmates were taken ill and the rest are alright it cannot be concluded it was a case of food poisoning.

The hostel authorities have been asked to furnish a detailed report about the incident, he said.