Orphanage administrator arrested after food poisoning claims three lives in Anakapalli  

In the wake of a tragic incident where three students from an orphanage in Anakapalli succumbed to food poisoning, Home Minister V Anitha announced that a case has been registered against Kiran, the administrator of the orphanage, who has since been arrested. The government has also declared an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased children. Home Minister Anitha Vangalapudi on Tuesday, accompanied by MP Bharat and MLAs Palla Srinivasu and Vishnukumar Raju, visited the affected students who are currently receiving treatment at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam. The incident has left the community in shock, with 82 out of 92 children at the hostel falling ill, and 14 of them now being treated at the hospital.

The tragedy unfolded on Saturday when the children began showing symptoms of illness after consuming food provided at the orphanage. Minister Anitha expressed her deep concern over the situation, criticizing the authorities for their delayed response in sending the children to the hospital, which she believes contributed to the severity of the incident.

“The children fell ill after consuming food that was provided from donors,” the minister stated, adding that an investigation is underway to determine the source of the contaminated food, including the origins of other items such as samosas that were distributed. She emphasized that such institutions must be scrutinized and that similar hostels across the State should be closed down. Two such hostels have already been identified in the Visakhapatnam district, with orders issued for their closure. In response to the incident, Rama, the wife of the orphanage administrator, spoke to reporters, providing details about the food that was served on the fateful night.

“On Saturday night, two donors from Nakkapalli and Kogunuru provided the food. One donor gave samosas and chocolates, while the other brought biryani, white rice, sambar, punugulu, and curry. Unfortunately, four children fell ill after eating the white rice and sambar, leading to the death of three,” she explained. Rama expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stating that it was a misfortune and clarified that there was no malicious intent on the part of the orphanage management. “We ate the same food along with the children. Our mission is to provide education to children from agency and Thanda areas. Currently, there are 86 children studying at the orphanage, ranging from primary to intermediate levels,” she said. 

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