One girl dies, nine students fall ill after drinking water in Bihar's Nalanda school

Nalanda: A girl died and at least nine students of a school in Bihar's Nalanda district fell ill after allegedly consuming water, an official said on Tuesday.

The Nalanda district administration said the deceased was not a student of the school and she had come to meet her friends at the school.

Nalanda District Magistrate Shashank Shubhankar told PTI, "Some students complained of vomiting and stomachache after drinking water from the RO system installed in the school premises on Monday.

They were immediately taken to the nearest government hospital where one girl, who was not a student of the school, died during treatment. Conditions of nine students are improving".

The incident happened at Kasturba Gandhi Girls School in Nalanda district.

"Prima facie it appears that students probably fell ill after consuming drinking water from RO system installed in the school. It has also come to our notice that the RO system of the school was not being properly maintained. We have sent samples of the water for scientific examination. The district administration has also ordered registration of an FIR against the school warden and he has been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. Strict departmental action will soon be initiated against him", said the DM.

The DM further said police have also sent 'viscera samples' of the deceased for chemical examination.