20 students fall ill after eating mid-day meal at Goa school

PANAJI: Nearly 20 students took ill after eating mid-day meal in their school near here today, second such incident in Goa this month.

The Goa government has sent a team to take stock of the situation and ensure proper treatment for the students of St Joseph High School in Usgao village, about 40-km from here.

The students complained of uneasiness after partaking the meal served to them, Education Department sources said and described it as "a clear case of food poisoning".

They were referred to a government-run hospital in nearby Ponda town. Initial reports suggested that their condition was stable.

Education Department Director Anil Powar told PTI that a team of officials has been dispatched to take stock of the situation.

"We will know other details only after receiving a report from the team," he said.

"It is a clear case of food poisoning," a senior Education Department official said.

Earlier this month, nearly 80 students from a school in Canacona taluka were taken ill after eating mid-day meal.