Dead Snake Found in Indian School Meal... Over 100 Students Suffer Mass Food Poisoning

"Cook Removed Snake and Served Meal as Is"
National Human Rights Commission: "Serious Violation of Students' Rights"

More than 100 students at an elementary school in India suffered mass food poisoning after eating school meals that had contained a snake, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.

According to the BBC and other sources on May 2 (local time), a dead snake was found in food served as lunch at a public elementary school in Mokhama, Bihar state, eastern India, on April 25. Out of 500 students who ate the meal, more than 100 reported dizziness and vomiting and received hospital treatment.

Over 100 students at an elementary school in India suffered from mass food poisoning after eating school meals that contained a snake. Tamil Nadu state government official website

The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) stated, "It has been reported that a school cook discovered the dead snake, removed it, and then served the meal to over 500 children," adding, "If this is true, it can be seen as a serious violation of the students' basic human rights." The NHRC strongly criticized the incident. Local residents, angered by the situation, reportedly blocked roads and held protest demonstrations.

Since 2001, India has implemented the 'Midday Meal Scheme' to improve child nutrition and encourage participation in education. This is a national program that provides free, cooked lunches to students at public schools across the country for at least 200 days a year. According to the Ministry of Education of India, this program is the largest school meal initiative in the world, benefiting an estimated 113 million children between the ages of six and ten.

However, due to its massive scale, issues related to food hygiene and safety occur frequently. In 2013, at a school in Bihar, free school meals were contaminated with pesticides, resulting in the deaths of at least 23 children. At the time, students experienced severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and convulsions shortly after eating potato curry and rice, and some died before reaching the hospital.

The United Nations reports that a quarter of the world's hungry population is still concentrated in India. Currently, there are more than 190 million malnourished people in the country.