20名印度兒童因吃學校午餐死亡

Officials in eastern India say at least 20 children have died after eating a free lunch cooked in the school's kitchen.

Bihar state authorities say at least 27 other students were hospitalized after eating a meal that included rice and lentils Tuesday at a primary school in Masrakh, about 90 kilometers north of Patna, the state capital. Ten of those children are in critical condition.

Angry demonstrators staged a protest following the children's deaths.

An education minister says a preliminary investigation indicates the food contained traces of phosphorous. Few other details were immediately released.

Many state governments have launched midday meal programs for millions of poor children. Malnutrition is a major health issue for Indian children.印度東部地區官員說，至少20名兒童吃了學校食堂免費午餐後死亡。

印度比哈爾邦當局說，至少還有27名學生星期二在馬斯拉赫一所小學吃過包括米飯和扁豆在內的午餐後，被送到醫院救治，其中10人病情嚴重。馬斯拉赫位於比哈爾邦首府帕特納以北大約90公里。

兒童死亡事件發生後，憤怒的示威者舉行了抗議活動。

一名教育機構官員說，初步調查發現食物中含有磷。到目前爲止，有關方面還沒有公佈其他細節。

印度很多邦政府啓動了爲貧困兒童提供午餐的項目。營養不良是印度兒童面臨的主要健康問題。