Mystery illness hits Odisha school, 14 girls fall ill after morning prayer

In a concerning incident from Kalyani village in Balasore district, at least 14 girl students of Nigamananda Smruti Vidyapitha reportedly fell ill. The students began feeling unwell after the morning prayer session at school.

They complained of chest pain and difficulty in breathing, which raised alarm among the school staff. Initially, they were rushed to the Goplapur Community Health Centre, but as their condition worsened, all 14 students were referred to the Balasore-based Fakir Mohan Medical College & Hospital (FM) for further treatment.

Following the incident, the Block Education Officer (BEO) and a medical team reached the school and began health checkups of other students to ensure no further cases went unnoticed.

The exact cause behind the sudden illness remains unclear, and authorities are currently investigating the incident.

“14 students had been admitted. Although their condition is stable, we referred them to FM Medical College & Hospital as they complained of chest pain. The situation is under control now. I’m on my way to school,” informed Dr. Dhiresh Kumar Sarangi, Medical In-Charge, Khantapada.