10 children in Assam hospitalised after being served phenyl at Anganwadi centre

Sensation prevails in Assam’s Tinsukia district where as many as 10 children have reportedly fallen ill after consuming ‘suji halwa’ that was suspected to be laced with phenyl at an Anganwadi Centre in Kakopathar town.

In a terrible mix-up at the Na-Maithang Aganbari center on August 5, a guardian who was making suji halwa to serve to students amid an ongoing celebration, added phenyle that was being kept for cleaning instead of milk. The person who usually does the cooking was not available today, said a guardian.

‘The children had the meal around 10 am in the morning. After they went home, some of them said they felt uneasy. They were taken to nearby hospitals which referred them to Tinsukia for better treatment,’ a guardian informed India Today NE.

Dr. Mridul Gogoi, Superintendent of the Tinsukia Civil Hospital, told media that the children will be kept under observation for 24 hours to be on the safe side. However, if professionals are to be believed, there is immediate danger to their lives.

‘The children consumed the phenyl in a diluted form, and immediately vomited it out. We are yet to find any symptoms of poisoning. However, we will have to keep them under observation for the next 7-8 days as side-effects of phenyle ingestion take a few days to show up. The liver and the lungs are the worst affected,’ he said, adding that the Civil Hospital is well equipped to deal with the crisis and the victims do not need to be transferred to the Medical College in Dibrugarh for treatment.