128 Namakkal private college students fall ill after drinking contaminated water

NAMAKKAL: As many as 128 students at the Excel Engineering College near Kumarapalayam in Namakkal district fell ill on Tuesday night after drinking contaminated water. The food safety department conducted an inspection of the college and recommended adherence to 21 regulations.

The engineering college and other colleges run by the Excel Educational Institution on the same campus will remain closed till Sunday as the common kitchen has been sealed and drinking water tanks are under repair. Besides the engineering college, the Excel Educational Institution operates arts and science, pharmacy, naturopathy and siddha colleges as well. More than 10,000 students study in the colleges run by it.

Approximately 4,000 students stay in hostels.As many as 128 students in one of the hostels started vomiting after dinner. The management provided intensive care at the campus clinic and informed the parents of the affected students, sending them home as soon as they were well enough to leave.District food safety officer Dr Thanga Vignesh, along with food safety officers Ranganathan Loganathan, carried out an inspection on Wednesday.

During the inspection, it was found that the hostel kitchen was poorly maintained. The kitchen was closed. The food safety officer said, "Water tanks were found to be extremely dirty." He mentioned that 21 directives were issued, including the immediate draining of water. In a statement, college chairman AK Natesan said the affected students had recovered and had been discharged from hospital. "They will return to college on Monday," he stated.