Surat Boarding School: 75 students fall ill due to suspected food poisoning

SURAT: At least 75 students of a private boarding school in Surat fell sick due to suspected food poisoning, with 12 of them needing hospitalisation, an official said on Sunday. All the students are out of danger, he said. "Seventy-five students residing in the hostel of P P Savani School in the city's Abrama area developed symptoms including diarrhoea and vomiting from Saturday night," said Medical Health Officer P H Umrigar from Surat Municipal Corporation.

A total of 12 students, including nine girls, aged between 15 and 17 years, were admitted to the hospital, he added. Of these 12 students, four have been discharged after treatment, while the condition of the remaining students is stable, Umrigar said.

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As soon as the Surat Municipal Corporation received information about the incident, its health department initiated action, the civic body said in a relase. "Teams from the Food Department, Health Department and Sanitation Department conducted an inspection at the P P Savani School hostel. During the inspection, four food samples were collected and sent for necessary testing," it said.

A mobile medical team is currently conducting health check-ups of other students residing in the hostel to ensure their medical assessment, it added. A total of 2,200 students reside at the boarding school, along with 300 staff members. All of them had the same food on Saturday, Umrigar said.