Twenty children were reportedly killed after eating a free lunch offering by a state-run primary school in Bihar, India. Thirty more are currently being treated in the hospital.
The fatalities were mostly children under the age of 10. Recent updates said that the woman responsible for preparing the mid-day meal also died from food poisoning. Her children, whom she also fed with the same lunch, all died. According to sources, the deadly lunch consisted of rice, pulse, and soy bean. District Civil Surgeon Shambhunath Sing said in an interview that the children "were admitted with symptoms of poisoning such as fever, vomiting, abdominal pain and frothing at the mouth."
The poisonous substance in the meal was identified to be phosphorus, which is lethal when consumed in high levels. However, no official statement on the cause of the widespread illness was released.
The Indian state of Bihar is located north of the capital. The main source of income of the people in Bihar comes from the agriculture industry, accounting to a total of 22% of the state's total gross domestic product. The state is considered as the fastest growing state in India. However, on a grander scale, Indian economy is suffering from low placement rates and the continuous decline of the currency.
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