A pressure cooker explosion at a Zilla Parishad school in Nalasopara West seriously injured two students and a woman cooking the midday meal on Tuesday, while local MLA Sneha Dube-Pandit alleged that the school administration failed to provide timely medical assistance.
The incident occurred at around 1.30 pm at Sopara Zilla Parishad School, Vasai, as staff were preparing khichdi for students. According to a report by Loksatta – Vasai-Virar, the cooker exploded under intense pressure, sending boiling khichdi out of the kitchen.
The hot food struck Gautam Guddu Prasad, 11, a Class 5 student, and Ayush Chaudhary, 9, a Class 3 student. Poonam Mangesh Kadam, 32, who was cooking the meal, was also seriously injured. The two children had been standing nearby in a queue for lunch when the explosion occurred, the report said.
The incident has raised concerns about safety arrangements in school kitchens and the response followed when children and staff were injured. Dube-Pandit alleged that the injured students were not taken to hospital immediately by the school administration. She claimed that the headmistress did not inform senior officials about the incident and that one of the children was sent home with his parents instead of being taken directly for medical treatment.
The MLA reportedly questioned the teachers concerned over the handling of the incident and demanded an inquiry into the conduct of employees found to have acted negligently. She also sought strict action against those responsible.
After learning about the incident, Dube-Pandit travelled from the state secretariat to the hospital, where she met the injured students and their parents and sought information about their condition. The report did not provide details of the students’ medical status, the extent of their injuries or the hospital where they were being treated.
The available account identifies the cooker explosion as the immediate cause of the injuries but does not establish why the cooker failed or whether the school kitchen had undergone recent safety checks. It also does not state whether the education department or other authorities have ordered a formal inspection of the kitchen, cooking equipment or emergency procedures.
The MLA has called for an investigation into the actions of the staff involved. Further official information is awaited on the inquiry, the condition of the injured students and cooking worker, and any action by the school or education authorities.
