Large-scale operation in Meinersen: 15 children in the hospital after eating fruit!

Large-scale operation in Meinersen: 15 children in the hospital after eating fruit!

On Wednesday afternoon, June 25th, a dramatic fire brigade operation was triggered in the Meinersen school center in the Gifhorn district. The alarm signal came from the school administration when several children showed symptoms similar to poisoning. The first report reported that eleven and later even 15 small students were affected. They had apparently eaten unripe fruit from a tree on the school grounds and complained of stomach pain and discomfort. Some of them were covered in cold sweat, which alerted the emergency services and led to the triggering of a “mass casualty incident” alarm, as News38 detailed documented.

When the emergency services arrived, it quickly became clear that the situation was serious. A large contingent was mobilized: nine ambulances, two ambulances and two emergency doctors arrived. All affected students were examined in detail by emergency doctors on site. Ultimately, ten of the children had to be taken to several surrounding hospitals - including in Gifhorn, Wolfsburg, Celle, Hanover and Braunschweig - for further observation. Fortunately, all students are considered to be slightly injured, although the hospitalization is primarily seen as a precautionary measure.

Ensure safe environment for children

The exact type of fruit the children ate could not be conclusively clarified at the time of reporting. However, it is assumed that these were unripe mirabelles or plums. Jens Grünhage, the head of operations, emphasized the need to pay attention to possible poisonous plants when planting in public areas. In this regard, the fire department has considered measures to prevent such incidents in the future. These incidents are particularly important in schools and kindergartens, since according to NDR it must be ensured that in schoolyards there are no plants with poisonous fruits.

Poisoning of children is a serious issue that is important not only in Meinersen but nationwide. Every year there are around 100,000 poisoning accidents involving children in Germany, with over 60% of the cases affecting small children under the age of three. It is often everyday dangers, such as poisonous plants or improperly stored cleaning products, that can lead to accidents, as Reer's information page explains: Reer. Therefore, parental supervision is just as important as preventative measures in educational institutions.

In the meantime, lessons for unaffected students were able to continue at the Meinersen secondary school, while concerned parents were informed about the incident and followed their children to the hospitals. Although such an incident is rare, it highlights the need to educate children about the dangers of plants and other potentially toxic substances.