PUNE: A total of 21 students and the headmaster of Rambhau Mhalgi Secondary School, Katraj, Pune were hospitalised after they complained of stomachache and vomiting, after consuming the mid-day meal in the school on Wednesday. One student has been kept in the ICU for observation.

Deputy Director (Education) Minakshi Raut said that the meal was consumed by the headmaster, four teachers and 120 students of Classes VIII, IX and X of Rambhau Mhalgi Secondary School.

They developed stomachache and started vomiting and were admitted to Bharati Hospital in Katraj.

According to Bharati Vidyapeeth police station, the teachers and students had ‘masala rice’ around 11 am. The food was provided by a self-help group to the school, which falls under private aided category.

Sanjay Shinde, Assistant Commissioner of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA),  said, “We have sent samples of the food to the laboratory for testing. The self-help group supplies mid-day meals to 9,600 students in 23 schools. The food is prepared at a facility in Kondhwa. Our team inspected the facility and found it to be unhygienic for a cooking place. Hence, we ordered them to stop preparing food till some issues are rectified.”