Over 150 children fall ill after eating food in prominent Noida school

Step By Step is a prominent school in Noida but authorities reportedly shut doors on probe officers after several children fell ill on the premises.

Noida: Over 150 students of Step by Step School here fell ill after having lunch and had to be admitted to a number of hospitals for treatment. While it is being suspected that food poisoning may have caused the students to fall ill, the management of the school is under fire for not allowing investigating agencies to enter the premises.

The students of Step by Step School in Sector 132 began falling ill by the dozen after having lunch served in the canteen. They had been given parantha and vegetables after which, many children began vomiting and complained of stomach pain.

Although school authorities began rushing the children to the hospitals, parents say they were not informed till several hours after the incident took place. The school principal though has said that immediate medical attention was given and parents were informed. "Some of the students at our school had mild to severe stomach ache and some also vomited. It is unclear as to the cause of the apparent problem. A team of doctors from Max Hospital was called in immediately to provide medical attention to affected students," the principal said in a statement."Parents of those affected have been kept informed and necessary steps are being taken for the well-being of all students. A few students who wanted to go home were sent home safely with their parents."

Parents though refute the claim.

What is even more shocking is that once local police officials reached the school to investigate, they and the city magistrate were not allowed to enter either. "The school authorities did not inform us about the incident. We got to know from our sources and from the media," Piyush Singh, City Officer, Gautam Buddh Nagar, told Zee News. "City magistrate of Noida went to the school to look into the matter but the gates were not opened."

While many are suspecting that the owner of the school is a politically well-connected person and therefore the defiance, investigative agencies have assured a thorough probe.