Two boys die after eating momos at Banda residential school

Two students died and a third is recovering after falling ill at BL Vidya Mandir, a private residential school in Banda, Uttar Pradesh. The deceased are Nitin, 12, a Class 6 student, and Arun Kushwaha, 9, a Class 2 student. Both complained of vomiting and abdominal pain between Sunday night and Monday morning, India Today and Hindustan Times report.

The children's families said they had eaten momos and finger chips bought from a shop near Mahendra Chowk on Sunday evening. Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem and preserved viscera for examination. Additional SP Shivraj said the cause of death has not been established, and the matter is being investigated.

Relatives alleged the school informed them only after the children reached hospital or died. Younger brothers of the deceased told their families the boys had asked staff to call their parents during the night but were not allowed to speak to them, Hindustan Times reports. School manager Om Prakash denied negligence, saying staff took the children to hospital and made every effort to save them. A third student, Yogesh Shivhare, was undergoing treatment and reported to be recovering.