Dead lizard in sambhar: 40 students fall ill after consuming school breakfast, authorities clean school kitchen

Around 40 students at a government school in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu reportedly fell ill on Thursday after consuming breakfast in which a dead lizard was allegedly found. The incident took place at Kottaiyur Panchayat Union Middle School near Mappedu in Tiruvallur.

The breakfast was served to students under the state government's free breakfast programme. According to India Today, the meal included rava kichadi and sambhar. A dead lizard was allegedly found in the food after some students had already consumed it. The school authorities subsequently stopped the distribution of the meal.

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The school has around 50 students enrolled from Classes 1 to 8. Of these, around 40 students had consumed the breakfast and later complained of symptoms including vomiting, dizziness and, in at least one case, stomach-related problems. The affected students were taken to Tiruvallur Government Medical College Hospital for medical treatment and observation.

Local reports said 38 students were hospitalised and later discharged, while other reports put the number of affected students at around 40. One Class 5 student reportedly continued to receive treatment for symptoms including diarrhoea, while the remaining children were discharged after medical care. Officials said the students were stable.

The incident triggered concern among parents and residents, with several parents rushing to the government hospital after learning that their children had fallen ill. Tiruvallur District Collector S Kavitha visited the hospital and interacted with the affected students.

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Officials have also initiated an inquiry into the incident. Disciplinary action was ordered against the two cooks, while the school headmaster, a teacher and the block development officer were also asked to face disciplinary action. The two cooks were relieved from duty following the incident.

Preliminary reports indicate that the school's kitchen was located in a shed, where officials suspected that a lizard may have fallen into the food. Authorities instructed the school to thoroughly clean the kitchen, remove insects and repaint the premises. Teachers were also instructed to taste the food before it is served to students.