Ranchi: At least 64 students of PM Shri Upgraded Middle-cum-High School, Tilmi, in Khunti district were admitted to the community health centre at Karra after they complained of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and headache following an educational trip to Rani falls on Saturday.Officials said around 330 students from classes VI to X had gone for the excursion. The first cases were reported on Sunday morning, after which more children were brought to the health centre through the day.Khunti civil surgeon Dr Lalit Ranjan Pathak said the administration responded as soon as it was alerted. “Initially, six students came, then 18 and later 64 were admitted,” he said. Officials said 24 children had been discharged so far, while the remaining students were stable and under observation.Pathak said the children were being treated symptomatically. Saline was administered where required, along with ORS and regular medicines.School principal Pushpa Bakhla said teachers and students had eaten the same food, while some children also bought snacks and cold drinks from outside. She said 320 pieces of sweets had been purchased from a shop in Tapovan, Hatia, and were consumed by teachers too. The trip, she added, had been arranged by an NGO that organises educational visits for children.Khunti deputy commissioner Md Jawed Hussain visited the students at the CHC and said all were stable. “Food safety officers are carrying out a thorough inspection,” he said, adding that no serious case had been reported.
