At least 27 children fell ill after eating midday meal at the government-run Poonia Deoria School in Kota’s Ranpur area on Monday, prompting authorities to order an inquiry into the cause of the illness.

The students, from Classes 1 to 8 complained of nausea, vomiting, stomach aches and dizziness about two hours after the meal was served. The meal included pumpkin preparation.

Of the 110 students present out of the 130 enrolled at the school, 21 were taken to hospitals in Kota. 17 were admitted to the government-run New Medical College Hospital, while four were taken to a private hospital. All the children are now stable, officials said.

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School principal Chandra Prakash said the school had been dismissed and students were preparing to leave when several of them started to complain of uneasiness. Those with severe symptoms were rushed to Kota for treatment.

Looking at the seriousness of the case and facing flak from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) recently for the condition of government schools in Rajasthan, Education Minister Madan Dilawar rushed to Kota from Jaipur in the evening to review the situation.

The mother of one of the affected students said, “My son Rahul, a Class 4 student, felt dizzy after eating the pumpkin curry and collapsed. He managed to come home, but his condition deteriorated rapidly, so we brought him to the dispensary and then to a hospital in Kota.” She claimed no teacher or school staff accompanied them to the medical facility.

District Education Officer (Elementary) Roop Singh Meena visited the hospital to assess the children’s conditions and monitor their recovery.

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He confirmed that while 27 students reported discomfort, the majority are in stable condition and under observation, with only four to five requiring formal admission.

The official said an inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the illness.

He said the midday meal was prepared and supplied by Annapurna Sahakari Samiti to eight or nine schools and all students consumed the same food, but other children have not complained of any illness. The samiti also supplies food to around 70 other schools.

He said it is too early to conclusively state that the meal may be the sole cause of the illness. Officials are examining whether extreme heat, humidity, or local water contamination contributed to the incident.

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Medical teams have been deployed to the school, and formal conclusions await official laboratory and medical test reports, he added.

According to Dr Mayank, the attending medical officer, the primary symptom reported by the students was vomiting, with most children experiencing one to two episodes. All admitted children are currently in stable condition with normal vital signs.

The medical team has administered symptomatic treatment to manage vomiting and discomfort. A detailed report regarding the incident and medical findings has been forwarded to the hospital superintendent.

While the precise cause of the illness remains under investigation, health authorities are monitoring the situation to determine if contaminated food or water triggered the sudden outbreak. —With PTI inputs