Chhapra midday meal toll rises to 23

CHAPRA/PATNA: One more child has died in the midday meal tragedy in Chhapra taking the toll to 23, while 25 others, including 24 children and a cook, were under treatment in the Patna Medical College and Hospital.

The district administration has come to know about the death of a child who was buried by family-members without informing the authorities, Saran District Magistrate Abhijit Sinha told PTI.

Seventeen school children died in the Sadar Hospital in Chhapra, four were declared brought dead on arrival to PMCH on late Tuesday night and two lost their lives during treatment at PMCH yesterday.

PMCH Superintendent Amarkant Jha Azad contradicted media reports about some fresh deaths including that of the cook Manju Devi.

"The condition of all 25, including 24 children and woman cook Manju Devi, is improving," Azad told PTI.

Saran DM said that the officials had checked by visiting every house in the vicinity of Dharmasati Gandavan village to know about any death about which the authority has no knowledge.

He said that the principal of the school, Meena Devi, is absconding with her husband and the police was conducting raids against them. The principal, against whom an FIR has been lodged, has already been suspended by the administration.

The DM said that the government primary school, where the tragedy took place, had been closed till further order.