Over 45 students fall ill after hostel meal in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi

More than 45 students of a Morarji Desai Minority Residential Hostel in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district fell ill after consuming dinner on Thursday night, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into a suspected case of food or water contamination.

According to preliminary information, students studying in Classes 6 to 10 began complaining of nausea and vomiting shortly after consuming rice and sambar served for dinner. Officials suspect the illness may have been triggered by contaminated food, unsafe drinking water, or a combination of both, although the exact cause is yet to be established.

The affected students were initially taken to the Primary Health Centre in Dandoti, where they received first aid. As several children required further medical attention, more than 35 students were later shifted to the Taluk Hospital in Chittapur for treatment.

The incident triggered panic among parents, many of whom rushed to the hostel after learning that their children had fallen ill.

Authorities are also probing reports that the hostel had been supplied water through a tanker that may have been contaminated, raising the possibility that the drinking water, rather than the meal alone, was responsible for the illness.

Minority welfare department district officer Sangamesh visited both the hostel and the hospital to assess the situation and oversee the treatment of the students. Chittapur Tehsildar Nagayya Hiremath said the condition of the children had improved and all the affected students were reported to be stable.

Officials have begun an inquiry to determine the precise cause of the incident. Food and water samples are expected to be collected and sent for laboratory analysis to ascertain whether contamination was responsible.

The incident comes barely a day after 11 students of Ambedkar Residential School in Basavanapura in Bengaluru South district were hospitalised with suspected food poisoning after reportedly consuming rice and leafy vegetable curry served at their hostel. The students complained of severe stomach pain and were admitted to a district hospital, where they continue to receive treatment.

The back-to-back incidents have once again raised concerns over food safety and hygiene standards in residential educational institutions across Karnataka.

With IANS inputs