Asifabad food poisoning: Number of ill students reaches 60

Sources said 15 more students took ill after consuming contaminated dinner at the hostel, on Saturday. Forty-five students fell sick on Thursday and Wednesday.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: The number of students falling ill due to alleged food poisoning at a tribal welfare department-managed hostel cum school in Wankidi mandal rose to 60 on Saturday. The condition of one of the students was learnt to be critical.

Sources said 15 more students took ill after consuming contaminated dinner at the hostel, on Saturday. Forty-five students fell sick on Thursday and Wednesday. They were admitted to a primary health centre in Wankidi mandal centre. They were discharged by evening. They complained of stomachache, vomiting and diarrhea after they had dinner on Wednesday at 10 pm.

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However, a student named Shailaja was shifted to a hospital in Mancherial as her medical condition deteriorated, while Parvathi was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kaghaznagar. Another student Kova Laxmi was being treated at district headquarters hospital in Asifabad. Shailaja is said to be on a ventilator, battling for life.

Students and parents expressed concern over instances of food poisoning occurring at the hostel. They attributed the incident to the unhygienic conditions in which the food was being prepared, while drinking water was not protected with the water tank getting cleaned monthly once. They stated that similar incidents of food poisoning occurred in the past, but were not reported.

Meanwhile, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDAO)-Utnoor Project Officer Khusbu Gupta inspected the hostel and instructed officials concerned to take steps to ensure hygiene in the kitchen on Saturday.

She urged parents not to take the students home fearing the food poisoning incidents at the hostel. She directed the officials to provide quality food to inmates of the hostel and offer medical services to those who were hospitalized. She asked them to take measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents in the future.