Palghar: A seven-year-old student of a residential school in Maharashtra's Palghar district died after developing high fever and breathing difficulties, while 26 other students have been hospitalised with symptoms of cold, cough and fever, officials said on Monday.

The incident comes weeks after three tribal girls died following a suspected venomous snakebite while sleeping on the floor of a residential school hostel in Gadchiroli district.

In the latest case, the Class 1 student at the Maswan ashram school developed a high fever on August 22 and was taken to a nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC) for treatment.

The child's fever returned on Monday, following which the PHC medical officer observed that his oxygen levels were falling and advised that he be shifted by ambulance to the Rural Hospital in Manor.

After the student was brought to the hospital, doctors conducted an ECG and declared him dead, an official said.

The exact cause of death will be established after the post-mortem report is received, the official added.

Following the death, senior health and administrative officials visited the school. A medical team also carried out a comprehensive health screening of students on the campus.

The school has 449 enrolled students, including 395 who reside on the premises.

As a precautionary measure, 26 students who reported mild symptoms such as cold, cough or fever were placed under observation at the Maswan PHC. Their condition was reported to be stable.

Vishal Khatri, officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Project, visited the school and health centre and met the hospitalised students and their parents.

"As per the advice of the district health officer, a fresh health check-up drive was conducted at the Maswan ashram school. Essential measures for campus sanitation and water purification are being carried out in the institution, and all necessary precautions will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents," Khatri told PTI.

The incident has also renewed scrutiny of conditions at Maharashtra's ashram schools. Officials had earlier said that 584 students died across state-run and government-aided residential facilities in the state over the last two years, averaging nearly one death a day.

The reported causes included snakebites, sickle cell disease, serious illnesses, accidents and suicides, officials said earlier this month.

The Maharashtra government has faced criticism following the deaths of the three tribal girls in Gadchiroli. In response, authorities have initiated corrective measures, including cancellation of the residential school's licence and comprehensive safety audits of residential facilities across the state.