44 students of govt school taken ill in Narmada

“I think this is a case of reduced immunity. The students had complained of fever. However, it is possible they might have drunk contaminated water. Plus, the pits of latrines were partly opened and unhygienic condition prevailed in storage room of kitchen,” Dr Varma said.

However, other health officials said the students were taken ill due to food poisoning only. “They developed symptoms around six hours after they had their lunch. From the unhygienic condition prevailing in the kitchen of the school, we suspect this is a case of food poisoning. We have collected samples of food and water,” said an official.

The health officials and district authorities also held a meeting with students of the schools at around midnight on Saturday. “The students complained that sometimes they even found warms in their food,” a source said.

The principal said cooks were hired on contract basis and that school administration was responsible for buying provision for the kitchen.

Doctor on emergency service ‘looted’

A doctor working with the 108 emergency services was allegedly looted by two unidentified persons while travelling in Vadodara-bound bus from Bhavnagar early on Sunday morning.

Tarapur police in Anand district said Dr Rajesh Kapurai, a resident of Vadodara was on his way back home from Bhavnagar when he was looted of his mobile phone and a ring at a roadside hotel near Tarapur around 9 am by two unidentified men

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