Krishnagar, March 14: A six-year-old girl fell into a tub full of steaming starch while playing in her school courtyard, minutes before rice was to be served for the mid-day meal.

A portion of the courtyard at Udaychand Primary School in Bethuadahari, Nadia, doubles as the kitchen every day. Over 100 children play in the 200-odd square feet left vacant by the cooks.

The tub containing the starch was left open beside the rice pot yesterday.

Puja Nag, playing catch-me-if-you-can, tumbled into it. Teachers pulled her out of waist-deep starch.

She has been admitted to the block hospital with 40 per cent burns, waist down. “The condition of the girl is serious,” said Bethuadahari block medical officer Vivek Das.

Some 500 people marched to the school this morning and locked up its four teachers in a room.

Guardians wondered how the meal could be cooked in the courtyard.

Puja’s father Tapas, a poor farmer, accused the teachers of being nonchalant even after the accident. “The meals are cooked in open earthen ovens. The accident was waiting to happen.”

Two days ago, three-and-a-half-year-old Raju Mohammad fell into a container full of boiling khichdi in a North Dinajpur school. He is in hospital with 50 per cent burns.

In Bethuadahari, about 130km from Calcutta, the villagers demanded the teachers’ punishment.

“Who is going to bear her medical expenses?” asked Samir Ghosh, whose daughter is in Class II.

Although no probe was held into the incident in North Dinajpur, the Nadia Primary School Council has ordered an inquiry.

“I’ve also summoned the headmistress to seek an explanation as to why the hot starch was kept within easy reach of children,” said council chairman Bibhash Biswas.

Headmistress Keya Rani Ghosh apologised for the incident, but defended her teachers, saying they were busy doing “official work”.

“The incident took place just before the midday meal was served. The children were playing,” she said.

Biswas said he had asked the school to bear the expenses of Puja’s treatment.