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| India lunch deaths children buried in Bihar school | India lunch deaths children buried in Bihar school |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Nineteen of the 22 children who died after eating a tainted free school meal in India's Bihar state have been buried in and around the school grounds. | Nineteen of the 22 children who died after eating a tainted free school meal in India's Bihar state have been buried in and around the school grounds. |
| Angry parents say they want the graves to serve as a reminder that the children died due to state negligence. | Angry parents say they want the graves to serve as a reminder that the children died due to state negligence. |
| In all, 47 primary school children fell ill after consuming the meal of rice and soybeans on Tuesday. | |
| A doctor at the local hospital said a chemical used in pesticides was the likely cause of contamination. | A doctor at the local hospital said a chemical used in pesticides was the likely cause of contamination. |
| Officials said the headmistress of the government school, in Dharmasati Gandaman in Saran district, had fled. | Officials said the headmistress of the government school, in Dharmasati Gandaman in Saran district, had fled. |
| The Mid-Day Meal Scheme provides free food for students, but often suffers poor hygiene. | The Mid-Day Meal Scheme provides free food for students, 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. | 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. |
| 'Government's negligence' | 'Government's negligence' |
| Angry parents and villagers have buried three children inside the school campus while 16 others have been buried in a nearby area, Patna-based journalist Amarnath Tewary reports from Dharmasati Gandaman. | |
| "People must not ever forget that our children died inside the school because of the government's negligence," Rangeela Prasad Yadav, whose 11-year-old grand-daughter Mamata was among the dead, told the BBC. | "People must not ever forget that our children died inside the school because of the government's negligence," Rangeela Prasad Yadav, whose 11-year-old grand-daughter Mamata was among the dead, told the BBC. |
| More than 100 people from the surrounding villages have attended the funerals and many are still standing around, mourning their loss. | More than 100 people from the surrounding villages have attended the funerals and many are still standing around, mourning their loss. |
| Inside the school, books are strewn around and the kitchen where the deadly meal was cooked has been demolished by angry villagers. | Inside the school, books are strewn around and the kitchen where the deadly meal was cooked has been demolished by angry villagers. |
| On Wednesday, hundreds of parents and villagers protested by setting four police vehicles on fire. | On Wednesday, hundreds of parents and villagers protested by setting four police vehicles on fire. |
| Armed with poles and sticks, they blocked streets and locked railway gates, halting the movement of trains. | Armed with poles and sticks, they blocked streets and locked railway gates, halting the movement of trains. |
| As well as the protests in Dharmasati Gandaman, a crowd set fire to a bus and damaged private property in the nearby town of Chhapra. | |
| Officials said the children showed symptoms of poisoning by organo-phosphorus, a compound also used as a pesticide for crops. | Officials said the children showed symptoms of poisoning by organo-phosphorus, a compound also used as a pesticide for crops. |
| Bihar State Education Minister PK Shahi told a news conference the cook told him the school had bought a new type of cooking oil and she thought the oil looked "discoloured and dodgy". | Bihar State Education Minister PK Shahi told a news conference the cook told him the school had bought a new type of cooking oil and she thought the oil looked "discoloured and dodgy". |
| She drew it to the attention of the headmistress - who was in charge of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme at the school and had been transferred there recently - who said the "oil was home-made and safe to use". | She drew it to the attention of the headmistress - who was in charge of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme at the school and had been transferred there recently - who said the "oil was home-made and safe to use". |
| The minister said the oil had been bought from the grocery store run by the husband of the headmistress. | The minister said the oil had been bought from the grocery store run by the husband of the headmistress. |
| Mr Shahi said the grocery store owner and other men in his family had fled. | Mr Shahi said the grocery store owner and other men in his family had fled. |
| An inquiry has begun and 200,000 rupees ($3,370) in compensation has been offered to the families of each of those who died. | An inquiry has begun and 200,000 rupees ($3,370) in compensation has been offered to the families of each of those who died. |
| Bihar is one of India's poorest and most populous states. | Bihar is one of India's poorest and most populous states. |
| The Mid-Day Meal was first introduced for poor and disadvantaged children in the southern city of Chennai in 1925. | The Mid-Day Meal was first introduced for poor and disadvantaged children in the southern city of Chennai in 1925. |