This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/world/asia/pesticide-found-in-meals-that-killed-india-children-official-says.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Pesticide Found in Meals That Killed India Children, Official Says Pesticide Found in Meals That Killed Indian Children, Official Says
(about 3 hours later)
PATNA, India — The free school lunch that killed 23 Indian children last week was contaminated with a concentrated pesticide that is not widely available, the district magistrate overseeing the police investigation said Sunday.PATNA, India — The free school lunch that killed 23 Indian children last week was contaminated with a concentrated pesticide that is not widely available, the district magistrate overseeing the police investigation said Sunday.
The children fell ill within minutes of eating a meal of rice and potato curry in their one-room school in Bihar State on Tuesday, vomiting and convulsing with stomach cramps. The children fell ill, vomiting and convulsing with stomach cramps, within minutes of eating a meal of rice and potato curry in their one-room school in Bihar State on Tuesday.
The deaths set off protests in Bihar. The lunch was part of India’s school lunch program that covers 120 million children and aims to tackle malnutrition and encourage school attendance. It had already drawn widespread complaints over food safety. The deaths set off protests in Bihar. The meal was part of India’s school lunch program, which covers 120 million children and aims to tackle malnutrition and encourage school attendance. It had already drawn widespread complaints over food safety.
An initial forensic investigation found that the meal had been prepared with cooking oil that contained monocrotophos, an organophosphorus compound that is used as an agricultural pesticide, Ravindra Kumar, a senior police official, told reporters on Saturday.An initial forensic investigation found that the meal had been prepared with cooking oil that contained monocrotophos, an organophosphorus compound that is used as an agricultural pesticide, Ravindra Kumar, a senior police official, told reporters on Saturday.
The pesticide found in the oil was of a concentration more than five times that used in a commercial version, according to a forensic report.The pesticide found in the oil was of a concentration more than five times that used in a commercial version, according to a forensic report.
“It is highly poisonous, it’s highly toxic, and, therefore, it has to be diluted when used as commercial pesticides,” said the district magistrate, Abhijit Sinha. “It is highly poisonous, it’s highly toxic and, therefore, it has to be diluted when used as commercial pesticides,” said the district magistrate, Abhijit Sinha.
“Typically it has to be diluted five times,” he said. “So one liter of monocrotophos is mixed with five liters of water.”“Typically it has to be diluted five times,” he said. “So one liter of monocrotophos is mixed with five liters of water.”
Mr. Sinha said that the concentrated form was not widely available and that the pesticide was normally sold commercially in the diluted state.Mr. Sinha said that the concentrated form was not widely available and that the pesticide was normally sold commercially in the diluted state.
The police said Friday that they suspected the cooking oil used in the meal had been kept in a container previously used to store the pesticide. They are still looking for the headmistress of the school, who fled after the deaths.The police said Friday that they suspected the cooking oil used in the meal had been kept in a container previously used to store the pesticide. They are still looking for the headmistress of the school, who fled after the deaths.
The World Health Organization describes monocrotophos as highly hazardous and says that the handling and application of it should be entrusted only to competently supervised and well-trained applicators. The World Health Organization describes monocrotophos as highly hazardous and says its handling and application should be entrusted only to competently supervised, well-trained applicators.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says all waste and contaminated material associated with the chemical should be considered hazardous waste and destroyed in a special high-temperature chemical incinerator plant.The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says all waste and contaminated material associated with the chemical should be considered hazardous waste and destroyed in a special high-temperature chemical incinerator plant.