52 students fell ill in suspected food poisoning at BC Residential Boys School in Dharmavaram, Gadwal district of Telangana. Authorities said around 110 students had dinner at the school hostel around 6:30 pm on Friday, ANI reported.
Soon after, several began to experience vomiting and stomach pains. So the affected students were rushed to Gadwal Hospital for treatment.
“According to preliminary information, at BC Residential Boys School in Dharmavaram, Gadwal district last night, around 6.30 pm, 110 boys consumed food and 52 suffered food poisoning. After vomiting, they were admitted to Gadwal Hospital. Today (Sunday), early morning, 32 boys were discharged,” police are investigating and the condition of the remaining boys is also stable. Jogulamba Gadwal told ANI.
The district health official said 32 students have been released and the rest are also safe and under observation.
“We are also running a hostel camp,” the official said, as reported by PTI.
As of Saturday morning, 32 students have been released after medical treatment, while another 20 remain under observation. Doctors confirmed that everyone is in a stable condition and out of danger.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC), headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Shamee Akther, has taken cognizance of media reports about the incident where students fell ill and directed the state’s chief secretary to conduct an inquiry and submit a comprehensive report by November 24, an official release said.
District health officials and food safety authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the contamination. Food samples from the hostel kitchen were taken and sent for laboratory analysis.
Officials from the local education department have arrived at the school and are checking the hygienic and cooking conditions in the hostel premises. School management has been instructed to ensure strict food safety protocols in future.
(With input from agencies)
