<p>About 50 children were taken ill Friday after drinking water from a handpump at a school in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, officials said.<br /><br /></p>.<p>On Thursday, 30 children had fallen sick after drinking water from handpumps at two separate schools of Saran and Gopalganj districts.<br /><br />The Friday incident took place at the government middle school in Runnisaidpur of Sitamarhi, a district police officer said.<br /><br />The sick children were first admitted to a primary health centre (PHC) in Runnisaidpur and later over a dozen, who were critically ill, were shifted to the district hospital for treatment.<br /><br />The children complained of pain in the stomach and started vomiting after drinking the water.<br /><br />"It appears to be the handiwork of some anti-social elements as the handpump might have been poisoned," education department officials said. After the news spread, hundreds of villagers thronged the PHC where the children had been admitted.<br /><br />Expressing concern over the incidents, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said: "I am really worried as after the contaminated mid-day meal tragedy, now reports of poison in handpumps at schools are coming in from various places." <br /><br />The chief minister added that state Director General of Police Abhayanand had been directed to initiate a probe into the incidents.<br /><br />As many as 23 children lost their lives July 16 after consuming contaminated mid-day meal at the government primary school in Dahrmasati Gandawan village at Mashrakh block of Saran district, 60 km from Patna. <br /><br />The mid-day meal scheme is running in 72,000 schools across the state with 1.60 crore students availing hot, freshly cooked meals.</p>
<p>About 50 children were taken ill Friday after drinking water from a handpump at a school in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, officials said.<br /><br /></p>.<p>On Thursday, 30 children had fallen sick after drinking water from handpumps at two separate schools of Saran and Gopalganj districts.<br /><br />The Friday incident took place at the government middle school in Runnisaidpur of Sitamarhi, a district police officer said.<br /><br />The sick children were first admitted to a primary health centre (PHC) in Runnisaidpur and later over a dozen, who were critically ill, were shifted to the district hospital for treatment.<br /><br />The children complained of pain in the stomach and started vomiting after drinking the water.<br /><br />"It appears to be the handiwork of some anti-social elements as the handpump might have been poisoned," education department officials said. After the news spread, hundreds of villagers thronged the PHC where the children had been admitted.<br /><br />Expressing concern over the incidents, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said: "I am really worried as after the contaminated mid-day meal tragedy, now reports of poison in handpumps at schools are coming in from various places." <br /><br />The chief minister added that state Director General of Police Abhayanand had been directed to initiate a probe into the incidents.<br /><br />As many as 23 children lost their lives July 16 after consuming contaminated mid-day meal at the government primary school in Dahrmasati Gandawan village at Mashrakh block of Saran district, 60 km from Patna. <br /><br />The mid-day meal scheme is running in 72,000 schools across the state with 1.60 crore students availing hot, freshly cooked meals.</p>