Over 170 students Morarji Desai Residential School near Chikkodi fall ill in suspected case of food poisoning

As many as 177 students of the Morarji Desai Residential School in Hirekodi near Chikkodi in Belagavi district fell ill after eating breakfast on Friday (September 12, 2025). About 81 of them were admitted to hospital. Doctors have suspected this to be a case of food poisoning.

While some students complained of uneasiness and experienced stomach ache after having breakfast, several suffered from vomiting and weakness. They were taken to the taluk hospital as well as the mother-and-child hospital in Chikkodi. One girl who showed serious symptoms was admitted to the district hospital in Belagavi.

Additional District Health and Family Welfare Officer S.S. Gadad said that 37 boys and 33 girls were admitted to the taluk hospital while three boys and seven girls were admitted to the mother-and-child hospital in Chikkodi. “The rest of the students who complained of discomfort were treated as outpatients. All are recovering,’‘ Dr Gadad said.

The MDRS, run by the Department of Minority Welfare, has 400 students from Class 6 to Class 12. A team of health department officials and doctors visited the school and the hospital.

Prakash Hukkeri, MLC and special representative of Karnataka government in New Delhi visited the hospital and spoke to students. He assured some of the parents who had gathered there of complete assistance, and asked them not to panic.

Mr. Hukkeri also warned taluk officer Sukumar Bagi and other officers of strict action in case of negligence. He inquired if they had enough stock of medicines and asked them to get additional stocks from Belagavi or Bengaluru.