‘Salt was needed. Detergent went into the food instead.’ What followed was panic at a Bihar school as more than two dozen children fell ill after consuming the Mid-Day Meal at Parasi Middle School in the Noorsarai police station area on Tuesday.

The children complained of vomiting and dizziness shortly after eating the meal, prompting school authorities to rush them to Bihar Sharif Sadar Hospital.

Civil Surgeon Dr Jayaprakash Singh later visited the hospital and said all the children were out of danger.

According to school principal Shailendra Kumar Singh, the meal served on Tuesday consisted of rice and a soybean dish. The trouble began after students complained that the food lacked salt.

In what officials described as a mistake, the cook picked up Surf detergent powder instead of salt and added it to the food.

The error was reportedly possible because the salt and detergent powder had been kept in the same location in the school kitchen.

The children began falling ill soon after eating the food. School authorities initially attempted to provide first aid, but when their condition did not improve, the affected students were taken to Sadar Hospital.

As news of the incident spread, worried family members rushed to the hospital, where the large number of children being treated created a tense situation.

Families also alleged that hospital arrangements were inadequate, claiming that two or three girls were being treated on a single bed.

A brief commotion followed before the situation was brought under control after the Civil Surgeon assured them that the children would receive proper treatment.

However, the concerns did not end at the hospital. Family members alleged that despite being informed about the incident, neither an ambulance was sent from Noorsarai Hospital nor did a medical team reach the school.

With ambulances unavailable, families said they were forced to take the children to Bihar Sharif Sadar Hospital in e-rickshaws and tempos.

They argued that a timely response from the local hospital could have ensured immediate medical attention at the school.

The incident has now raised serious questions over the monitoring and safety of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, particularly the way food ingredients are stored and handled in school kitchens.

It has also put the emergency preparedness of the local healthcare system under scrutiny, with families alleging that they were left to arrange transportation for sick children themselves.