40 children fall ill after eating sweets

Darbhanga (Bihar): At least 40 children today fell sick after eating allegedly contaminated sweets distributed at an Independence Day function in the district, a police official said.

"A kind of sweet dish 'buniya' was distributed by one Anil Sahni, husband of the 'mukhiya' (panchayat head), among the children assembled at the Panchayat Bhawan at Ranipur, who ate it and fell ill. Altogether 40 of them were rushed to hospital, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajit Kumar Satyarthi said.

The children who ate the sweets complained about uneasiness and stomach ache. Many of them vomited, while some of them also fell unconscious leading to a general panic in the area, he said.

Police and district administration officials rushed to the place and took them to hospital.

"A general search was also conducted in the area for children who had fallen ill. The kids were at first taken to a private hospital and then shifted to the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). They all are now out of danger after treatment and are in the process of being discharged," Satyarthi said.

The SSP also said that an investigation is on into the matter.