In a suspected case of food poisoning, nine students were taken ill after drinking milk supplied under the Ksheera Bhagya scheme on Wednesday morning in Hungund post of Mudgod taluk in Uttara Kannada district.
Official sources said though it was a holiday, students of the Government Urdu Higher Secondary School were asked to come to celebrate Kanaka Jayanti, and were given milk and chocolate as part of the celebrations. Under the scheme, the milk is supplied thrice a week.
However, after consuming the milk at around 8.30 am, the students reportedly complained of nausea and dizziness within an hour.
“Out of a goodwill gesture, the school authorities had organised a small event and distributed milk and chocolates to the students. However, we are not sure what caused the food poisoning,” Prasanna Kumar, deputy director, Public Instructions (Sirsi Division), said.
By late evening, the nine students were said to be safe. As a precautionary measure, all 78 students who attended the function were asked to report to the hospital. “The doctor said the students are out of danger. We will keep the students who fell ill under observation for a day,” Kumar added.