VISAKHAPATNAM : In a tragic incident, three children died and 78 others were hospitalised due to food poisoning at a hostel run by the Parisudhatma Agni Stuthi Aradhana Trust (PASA Trust) at Kailasa Patnam in Kotavuratla mandal of Anakapalle district.
The deceased children have been identified as K Shraddha (7) of Balabadram village and T Joshua (7) of Nimmalapalem in Chintapalli mandal, and G Nithya (Bhavani) (8) of Rellala Palem in Koyyuru.
A total of 93 children consumed stale food on Saturday night. Of them, 78 have been admitted to various hospitals across the districts of Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitarama Raju. “We have admitted 78 children to different hospitals, even though some are in stable condition, as a precautionary measure. Since these students are from tribal areas, we have initiated the process to transfer them to various tribal schools under ITDA,” said Paderu ITDA Project Officer V Abishek.
Anakapalle SP M Deepika said 35 children affected by food poisoning are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals in the district. She said all the children experienced varying levels of illness, with some being more severely affected, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, who did not receive proper care, and that most of these children are under observation. A few children, who are in a more critical condition, have been shifted to the King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam.
Among those transferred to the KGH, one girl is said to be in a very critical condition. Deepika also confirmed that three students, who fell ill after consuming the food on Saturday, had died by midnight on Sunday.
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“Upon investigation, it was found that the PASA Trust is operating a hostel for tribal children, who reside there and attend school daily. Upon learning about the death of two children, we traced all the children, informed their parents, and ensured that the children were admitted to hospitals,” she said.
Deepika revealed that the food that caused the poisoning was donated to the hostel in the afternoon, and was originally cooked in the morning. The leftover food was served to the children in the evening, and by Sunday morning, they began experiencing symptoms of vomiting. “Instead of providing immediate medical treatment, the children were sent home, which delayed proper medicare,” she said.
The hostel was established in 2012-13, initially housing only two to three children. However, the number of children has significantly increased over the last two to three years. Deepika expressed concern over the inadequate accommodation, mentioning that the children were housed in a small shed with limited washroom facilities.
The police have arrested Kiran Kumar, administrator of PASA Trust, under Section 304 Part 2 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 105 of the BNS for negligence. The SP revealed that Kumar brought tribal children to the hostel without proper permission, and failed to provide timely medical treatment to them, ultimately leading to the tragic deaths.
Alluri Sitarama Raju Collector AS Dinesh Kumar, Anakapalle Collector Vijaya Krishnan and Visakhapatnam Collector MN Harendhira Prasad responded promptly to the food poisoning incident. They reached the hospitals, coordinating with district-level officials, police, education and medical departments to ensure emergency medical services were provided immediately.
CM Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep concern over the death of students and directed the Collector to ensure that the affected students receive the best possible medical treatment. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the three deceased children.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, who visited the affected children at the KGH, stated that an investigation is underway to determine the origin of the contaminated food and who brought the samosas. She emphasised the issue of religious teachings at such hostels, where parents are persuaded to send their children.