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| Children are treated in a local hospital, The Mid-Day free meal scheme is world's largest school feeding program |
Patna: At least 20 children along with school cook have died and 30 more are hospitalized after eating a free meal which was offered at a primary school in eastern India.
Police said the children, aged eight to 11, fell ill after consuming a lunch of rice, soybean and pulses on Tuesday.
The school, in the district of Chapra, provided free meals under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the world's largest school feeding program involving 120 million children.
Bihar state education minister P K Shahi told AFP that,“It is sad but true that 20 children died after eating their midday meal, which appears to be poisonous,”.
A investigation is under way into the incident on Tuesday afternoon at the state-run school in the village of Masrakh, in Bihar's Saran district.
Hundreds of angry people staged a protest in Saran since late on Tuesday night, demanding stern action against government officials responsible for this shocking incident.