Panic gripped Rathaur Mohiddinpur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad district after more than 100 schoolchildren suddenly fell ill on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after consuming medication distributed at a local government school.
Within minutes of taking the medicine, several students began complaining of vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain. The situation escalated rapidly, leading to chaos on the school premises as teachers attempted to manage the crisis.
Children rushed to hospitals
Alarmed by the deteriorating condition of their children, parents rushed to the school in large numbers. Authorities swiftly called for ambulances from across the district, and the affected students were transported to the Kamalganj Community Health Centre (CHC) for emergency treatment.
Some anxious parents chose to admit their children to nearby private hospitals as a precaution.
Medical teams worked to stabilise the students, and officials stated that most children were conscious and under observation. The exact number of those admitted was still being verified at the time of reporting.
Officials order probe
Education department officials and local police were immediately informed of the incident. Senior officers visited the village to assess the situation and coordinate medical support.
Villagers described the atmosphere as tense, with health workers attending to children while anxious parents sought answers.
Authorities have launched an inquiry to determine the cause of the sudden illness. Investigators are examining whether the medication was distributed under an official health programme or if there were lapses in procedure or storage.
Samples of the medicine have reportedly been collected for testing. Officials have assured parents that strict action will be taken if negligence is found.
The incident has raised serious concerns about safety protocols in schools and the monitoring of health-related initiatives involving children.