Following suspicions about button batteries in muffins, children at a primary school in Coswig underwent medical examinations on 12 November 2026. The incident prompted a major emergency response at Fröbel Primary School in Saxony-Anhalt Police launched an investigation. It was not initially known whether any children had actually swallowed batteries.
According to the Wittenberg district authority there was suspicion that children had eaten muffins that were believed to contain button batteries. At 11.41 am, the emergency services initially estimated that 15 children were affected. The MDR later reported, citing a district spokesperson, that 16 children had been taken from the school by ambulance.
The district authority said the children had been assessed and treated at the scene. Some were taken to hospitals in Dessau and Wittenberg for further examinations; other children went to clinics with their parents. There was initially no confirmed information about the children’s health.
Because the situation was unclear, emergency crews said the district had activated the alert level for a mass-casualty incident. This was intended to ensure that sufficient medical personnel were available. The crews at the scene were reportedly sufficient, so an additional unit called in to provide treatment and transport was stood down.
According to the district authority, the City of Coswig, which runs the primary school, said the parents of the children concerned had been informed. The school authority advised that anyone who had not received a notification need not assume their child was affected. Lessons continued as usual.
According to the dpa news agency, a police spokesperson said two batteries had been found in muffins that had not been eaten. Cakes had been brought to a school event, including the apparently homemade muffins. It was initially unclear how the batteries had got into the baked goods. The district authority gave no information about the background or a possible cause.
The precautionary examination is distinct from the question of whether an injury actually occurred. According to the district authority, swallowed button batteries can become lodged in the oesophagus and cause severe chemical burns within a short time. Symptoms may not appear until several hours later.
The district referred to guidance from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment: If there is reason to suspect that a child has swallowed a button battery, they should be examined without delay at a children’s hospital or emergency department. This applies even if no symptoms are initially apparent. For the families of the children examined, the next step on 12 November was to wait for the results of the medical examinations and for police to establish the circumstances.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).