MAHARASTRA-PALGHAR: At least 50 students from around 10 ashram schools in Dahanu taluka, located in Maharashtra's Palghar district, fell ill on Tuesday morning after suspected food poisoning, officials reported. Ashram schools are residential institutions catering to tribal students.

According to Palghar Resident Deputy Collector Subhash Bhagade, students from various ashram schools under the Dahanu Project of the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) experienced symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. These students have been admitted to different hospitals in the district.

"The exact cause of the food poisoning is currently under investigation," Bhagade said. "The affected students are receiving medical treatment."

The impacted schools are spread across Dahanu, Palghar, Talasari, and Vasai talukas. An official report revealed that students from an ashram school in Rankol, Dahanu, began experiencing symptoms hours after dinner on Monday night. By around 3 am Tuesday, approximately 28 girls from the school fell ill and were swiftly taken to a local health center for treatment.

Dr. Satyam Gandhi, Project Officer at the ITDP in Dahanu, assured that none of the students' conditions are severe. "We are still gathering information on the total number of affected students," he noted.

An official also mentioned that the food supplied to these ashram schools comes from a central kitchen in Palghar. Food samples from the kitchen have been collected for testing. District Collector Govind Bodke, along with health department officials, is visiting the hospitals in Dahanu and Talasari talukas to monitor the situation.

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