In a tragic incident, three children died and 78 others were hospitalised due to food poisoning at a hostel run by the Parisudhatma Agni Stuthi Aradhana Trust (PASA Trust) at Kailasa Patnam in Kotavuratla mandal of Anakapalli district in Andhra Pradesh.
The victims have been identified as K Shraddha (7) of Balabadram village and T Joshua (7) of Nimmalapalem in Chintapalli mandal, and G Nithya (Bhavani) (8) of Rellala Palem in Koyyuru mandal.
A total of 93 children consumed stale food on Saturday night, August 18.
Of these, 78 have been admitted to various hospitals across the districts of Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam, and Alluri Sitarama Raju, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
"We have admitted 78 of them to different hospitals, even though some are in stable condition, as a precautionary measure. Since these students are from tribal areas, we have initiated the process to transfer them to various tribal schools under ITDA," stated Paderu ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) Project Officer V Abishek.
Anakapalli district Superintendent of Police (SP) M Deepika said 35 affected by food poisoning are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals in Anakapalli. She said all children experienced varying levels of illness, with some being more severely affected, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, who did not receive proper care, and that most of these children are under observation.
A few, who are in a more critical condition, have been shifted to King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam.
Among those transferred to KGH, one girl is said to be in a very critical condition.
Deepika also confirmed that three students, who fell ill after consuming the food on Saturday, had died by midnight on Sunday.
