Five children hospitalised after consuming samosa at school canteen

According to preliminary information furnished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), five children were infected with food poisoning after eating samosas at the school canteen. The affected children are aged between 10-11 years. After the matter was reported by the security guard, the children were taken to the civic-run Rajawadi hospital. Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior doctor at Rajawadi hospital said all children reported nausea and vomiting when they were brought in.

“While we cannot say that the children were infected after consuming food, they reported symptoms such as nausea, vomiting etc when they were brought in. They were kept under observation. We discharge them after their health stabilised,” said the medical official.

Dr. Bharati Rajuwala, Medical Superintendent of Rajawadi Hospital, said the condition of all five children improved with timely intervention. “Five students were brought to the hospital with symptoms of food poisoning. Three of them were discharged earlier, while two were kept under observation and treated in the hospital. Once their condition stabilised, we discharged them as well,” Dr. Rajuwala.

The students have been identified as Ikra Jafar Miyaj Sayyad (11), Vaija Gulam Husen (10), Rajik Khan (11), Aarush Khan (11) and Afjal Shaikh (11).

Principal of the school Reema D’Souza said around 10-15 students were affected by the incident. “All these students had eaten either vada or samosa from the school canteen. When they began vomiting, we called the local doctor and informed their parents. The students were then taken to the nearby Rajawadi hospital, and all of them are currently stable,” she said.

When asked about the cause of the suspected food poisoning, D’Souza said that the school is still investigating. “It is highly unlikely that the food was stale or prepared in unhygienic conditions because this canteen has been operating in our school for the past 35 years.

Several teachers, including myself, often eat food from this canteen, and there have never been any issues. A preliminary review of the situation indicates that a camphor tablet may have dissolved in the batter used for that particular batch of vadas and samosas, which the children consumed on an empty stomach, leading to vomiting and dehydration. However, we will be conducting a more detailed investigation,” the principal added.