Casualties Continue to Rise, Manba’ul Hikam Islamic Boarding School Denies Students Died Due to Free Nutritious Meal Programme
Manba’ul Hikam Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo is still conducting data collection regarding the number of students experiencing health complaints after consuming the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme.
Ahmad Zainal, a manager of the Manba’ul Hikam Islamic Boarding School, stated that the final count cannot yet be confirmed as there has been a continuous increase in the number of students reporting symptoms.
“As of now, we are still in the process of recording the number of victims. For the time being, our focus remains on the medical treatment of those affected,” Ahmad said when contacted by Republika on Wednesday (2/9/2026).
He added that the boarding school has chosen to prioritise medical care for the students over rapidly determining the total number of casualties, due to the ongoing addition of affected students.
Ahmad explained that after several students began experiencing complaints, ambulances from various hospitals and volunteers arrived at the school. The students were subsequently referred to several hospitals in the Sidoarjo area for treatment. In recent developments, the school management ensured that students who had received medical care have been stabilised.
In its official statement, Manba’ul Hikam Islamic Boarding School noted that most students who received treatment have already returned to the school in a healthy and stable condition, while others remain under observation to ensure a smooth recovery. The school management also emphasised that no students have died as a result of the incident.
The school has requested that parents and the public do not easily believe unverified information, particularly rumours regarding fatalities or allegations that the source of the incident originated from the school’s internal kitchen.
“Regarding various negative information circulating externally—specifically false news concerning fatalities or allegations that the source of poisoning came from the school’s internal kitchen—we confirm that such news is entirely hoax,” stated the official announcement from Manba’ul Hikam Islamic Boarding School.
The school management has asked the public to refer to official announcements from the school’s caregivers for updates on the students’ condition.