Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), March 10 Forty-four children fell ill after consuming a midday meal at a government middle school in Kavundampalayam, police said on Tuesday.
Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran visited the children who are being treated at the city's government hospital and stated that they were "stable and safe."
"The students at the middle school in Kavundampalayam fell ill after eating the food. Initial investigations suggest that a lizard may have fallen into the food during preparation," he said.
The students, after vomiting, were taken to the hospital and are under constant observation by five doctors, a dean, and a nursing team, he said.
"All the students are now stable and safe," he told reporters.
"One parent has taken her child home. The parent has been instructed to bring the child back for treatment," he said.
In response to another query, Prabakaran said a team has been formed to investigate the matter.
"The principal of the school is being questioned," he added.
Anxious parents who were allegedly denied entry to the hospital were seen exchanging heated arguments with the teachers and hospital staff.