40 students fall Ill after eating food contaminated with lizard

Around 40 students of a government middle school at Kottaiyur near Mappedu in Tiruvallur district were hospitalised after reportedly consuming food in which a dead lizard was found on Thursday.The school has 55 students. A kichadi meal was served to the students in the morning. A dead lizard was reportedly found in the curry served along with the meal. School staff immediately stopped the students from consuming the food.However, around 40 students who had already eaten the food reportedly developed vomiting and dizziness. They were immediately taken by ambulance to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital, where they received treatment.The students are currently reported to be in stable condition. Tiruvallur District Collector Kavitha visited the hospital, met the students and enquired about their condition and the treatment being provided by doctors.Parents of the students also gathered at the hospital following the incident. Officials are investigating how the lizard came to be present in the food served to the students.