At least 22 children were taken ill after having ladoos and chana served as part of mid-day meal at an anganwadi in Mumbai's Mankhurd area on Friday. 18 of them had to be hospitalized.
About 30 children aged below five years had eaten the snacks. Many of them started vomiting and complained of dizziness after having the ladoos and chana.
The children were taken to Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi in ambulances after they started vomiting uncontrollably.
"All the children are under the age of five and none has complications. We gave them preliminary treatment and the vomiting has stopped. We also did a stomach wash and sent samples to Kalina Forensic Laboratory for analysis," Ashok Swajawalkar, medical superintendent of Shatabdi Hospital told Indian Express.
A women's self-help group, 'Bharneshwar Mahila Bachat Gat', was responsible for supplying snacks to the Mankhurd anganwadi. Police investigating the case has sent the food samples for analysis.
"We have registered a case under sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC against the supplier. We are awaiting the forensic report from the Kalina lab," Senior Inspector Shankarsingh Rajput told DNA.
However, the members of the self-help group, 'Bharneshwar Mahila Bachat Gat' said that the food they supplied were fresh.
"We supplied the same food to 15 other balwadis in Sathe Nagar, but they didn't face this issue. Also, the food we supplied was prepared last night, so there is no question of it being stale," Vasant Kirawle of the self-help group told DNA.
