Food poisoning: 116 students fall sick at Gurukulam Residential School in Naidupeta

The situation unfolded on Sunday night when the students began complaining of severe stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. The residential school staff immediately alerted the health authorities.

Emergency response teams arrived at the school around midnight and began transporting the affected students to nearby government hospitals in Naidupeta, Gudur and Sullurpeta.

Two students, whose conditions were deemed critical, were rushed to a Nellore hospital for intensive care.

Social welfare minister Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, who visited the affected students at Gudur Government Hospital, stressed the state government's commitment to student welfare and promised a thorough investigation. Health minister Satya Kumar has also been closely monitoring the situation.

District collector S. Venkateswar personally oversaw the crisis response. "Of the 520 students in the residential school, 116 fell ill. While the situation was initially dire, all the children, including those in a critical condition, are now stable."

The collector has ordered a probe and suspended the school principal, hostel warden, health officer and one more staff after an initial investigation revealed significant lapses in hygiene at the hostel mess and school premises.

"Such lapses will not be tolerated. We are committed to taking strict action against all the errant,” he said.

In response to the crisis, the authorities have taken more steps for student-wellbeing, including sourcing the hygienically prepared meals and purified water “from outside” until the school premises are sanitized, the collector said. A committee has been set up to inspect all residential hostels in the district to address food safety and hygiene issues.

"We have assigned eight doctors and 30 MLHPs (Mid-Level Health Providers) to ensure the health safety of the remaining children in the school. The affected children are being given ORS and IV fluids. The CM and the social welfare minister are being regularly updated about the health condition of the children," the collector said.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the contamination originated from the food prepared earlier in the day and served later. Poor food handling practices, such as preparing dough the night before for the morning pooris and cooking chicken procured early on Sunday, may have contributed to this health crisis.

The school's purified drinking water system has not been functional for two years. Severe hygiene issues persisted in the school and hostel premises, including the toilets and kitchen, sources said.

Dr U Srihari, (DM&HO), confirmed to Deccan Chronicle that food contamination and poor hygiene were the primary causes. He said a comprehensive investigation was under way. "We've formed a team including professors and officials from various medical departments as also a food inspector to conduct the probe," he said.