Basta: As many as eight students including six girls of Banabihari Lal school fell sick today after they were administered anti-worm medicine by the educational institution authorities at Gudikhala under Basta police limits in Balasore district.

The students who first fell sick are Sudipta Sahu, the daughter of Nityanand Sahu, Pratima Becha, the daughter of Arun Kumar Becha, Sumitra Behera, the daughter of Keshab Behera, Dibyabharati Mohanty, the daughter of Umesh Mohanty, Jyotshna Behera, the daughter of Dillip Behera and Subhranshu Sethy, the son of Madhusudan Sethy, all from Gudikhala village.

Subsequently, two more students named Kaberi Dalai, the daughter of Rabindra Dalai and a boy whose name has not been known yet were sent to Balasore district headquarters hospital (DHH).

According to a source, about 360 students were given the medication earlier in the day. Several of them complained of head reeling after consuming the drug and vomited. A few others also had an ache in their stomach and became unconscious. They were given saline and medicine at the CHC.

The students were rescued in critical condition and admitted to the community health centre (CHC) in Basta for treatment by an ambulance vehicle. They are not out of danger now, a doctor said.