Bangalore: Lizard in food triggers hysteria at school

Bengaluru: A lizard in one of the rice containers, which was being served for mid-day meals in a government school in D.J. Halli, resulted in a mass hysteria on Friday noon. Food from an NGO was served during the lunch break, which started at 12:30 pm to 1 pm at the Government Urdu Model Primary School in DJ Halli.

Towards the fag-end of serving food, one of the senior students noticed a lizard in the rice container she was carrying to serve her juniors. She brought it to the notice of the teachers, who immediately took the container to the office room. The office staff and other teachers immediately rushed to prevent the students, who were already having food, and took back the plates.

"My girls from senior wing while serving their juniors stumbled upon a lizard in a rice container, which was immediately brought to my notice, after which I ordered to take away the plates of the ones who were having food," said Zarina Khanum, Head Mistress, D.J. Halli Government Urdu school.

Some of the panicked children, who got to know that there was a lizard in a rice container, began vomiting while some others reported the matter to their parents. Many parents rushed to the school, only to find out some of the students being ferried to the hospital in an ambulance.

There was ruckus everywhere in and around the school, parents lamenting without knowing what had happened. "I was told that my son Tabreez Khan who is studying in the 3rd standard fell unconscious after he had consumed the food in the school," Imtiaz, Tabreez's father told Deccan Chronicle.

"My daughter Husna Khatoon who is studying seventh standard had vomited and fainted and I took her from school and rushed her to the hospital. She was complaining of abdominal pain," said Reshma Ahmed, mother of Husna.

Along with ambulances, social workers too pooled in for help and rushed in large number of students to the hospital in private and goods vehicles. Soon B.R. Ambedkar Medical College & Hospital had around 360 students, accompanied by their parents, school staff, and others. All the students were checked and given first-aid and IV fluids and a good number of them were kept under observation till evening. All the students were primarily complaining of abdominal pain and vomiting, said the doctors.

"Vital signs like pulse, BP of the students were normal. We have attended to all the students and have sent many home advising them to come back if they find any symptoms of illness.

Approximately 360 students were examined by the duty doctors. After the panic rate came down, the doctors started bed-to-bed survey and took details of the students who were brought by their own parents and by social workers," said Shivakumar, Principal, B.R. Ambedkar Medical College.

"Nobody has been critical. Mostly all had come to the hospital as they were panic struck. Some of them when they got to know about the incident vomited, which is psychological. It was a result of mass hysteria which spread from one to another that led to the utter chaos and confusion," said Dr Krishna Rao, Medical Superintendent, B.R. Ambedkar Medical College.

Health minister, U. T. Khader and District In-Charge Minister, Ramalinga Reddy rushed to the spot to take the stock of the situation and consoled the parents.

Two truck loads of policemen were deployed for security reasons inside the hospital.