At least 20 Children Dead in India After Eating Free Lunch at School

A school lunch tainted with heavy dose of insecticide left many children sick and killed 20 students in Masrakh, a small village in Saran district, Bihar, an eastern state in India.

Apart from the 20 children who died, about 28 children along with the school cook were hospitalized after eating the lunch. Local people told reporters that food poisoning after eating Mid-day meals at school have occurred previously in the region, BBC reported.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme provides free food to school-going children to boost attendance at school, but the food preparation often lacks basic hygiene. The death is likely to rise as many children who fell sick are in a critical condition.

"We suspect it to be poisoning caused by insecticides in vegetable or rice," Amarjeet Sinha, a senior education official, told the BBC.

An official who was responsible for the food distribution in the school was suspended after the incident. A case of criminal negligence has been registered against the school's headmaster, USA Today reported.

About half of all Indian children suffer from malnutrition. The Mid-day Meal Scheme, first offered in schools in Southern India is aimed at reducing malnutrition and boosting attendance at schools. The program has now been replicated in many schools across India, covering 120 million students, and is one of the world's biggest nutrition programs.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar's top elected official, has ordered an inquiry into the food poisoning case. Each of the victims' family will be given 200,000 rupees ($3,370) in compensation, Reuters reported.