Protests follow school meal deaths - BBC

BBC NEWS: There have been violent protests in the Indian state of Bihar after 22 children died and dozens more fell sick after eating a tainted free school meal.

Four police vehicles were set on fire in Dharmasati Gandaman in Saran district during the protests by parents and hundreds of villagers.

A doctor at the local hospital said a chemical used in pesticides was likely to be the cause of the contamination.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme provides free food, but often suffers poor hygiene.

It was introduced to combat hunger and boost school attendance, and reaches 120 million children in 1.2 million schools across the country, according to the government.

The school's cook told a government official she thought a new type of cooking oil was the cause of the poisoning.

Twenty-eight sick primary school children were taken to hospitals in the nearby town of Chhapra and the state capital, Patna, after consuming the meal of rice, soybeans and potatoes on Tuesday.
Read More...