Shillong: In response to a devastating food poisoning incident in Karnataka, which resulted in the loss of two young lives, Meghalaya has dispatched two high-ranking officials to provide immediate assistance to the affected students.
Commissioner & Secretary of Home, Cyril Diengdoh, and District Commissioner of Mandya, Kumar, arrived on-site to assess the condition of the hospitalised students and to coordinate crucial support measures.
The Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, addressed the grave situation, stating, “Arrests have been made in this regard and efforts are on to bring the students back home.” His statement, released on March 18, underscored the urgency and seriousness with which the state government is treating the matter.
The tragic event unfolded in T Kagepura village, Mandya district, Karnataka, where 30 students, including 26 hailing from Meghalaya, experienced severe health complications after consuming leftover food from Holi festivities at an unauthorized hostel. The students presented with critical symptoms including severe vomiting, diarrhoea, and dehydration, necessitating immediate hospitalisation.
Among the victims who succumbed to the poisoning was 13-year-old Khrehlang Khongtani, a Class VI student from Lyndem village in the Pynursla Civil Subdivision. In the wake of this tragedy, Chief Minister Sangma announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 3 lakh to the families of the deceased students, while also pledging to cover all medical expenses for the surviving affected children.
Adding to the state’s response, a two-member investigation team from Meghalaya, comprising Sub-Inspector of Schools P. Sunn and District MIS official R. Kharsyntiew, has been deployed. Their mission is to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, while simultaneously authorities are working to facilitate the safe return of the students to their home state.
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