Students address the media after food poisoning incident in Mancherial
Hyderabad: As many as 40 students fell ill due to food poisoning in Telangana’s Mancherial district on Friday, February 6, after having “worm-infested dal and rice” for dinner at the Bellampalli Government SC Girls Hostel.
Some students complained of dizziness after consuming the alleged contaminated rice at 7:30 pm. They also alleged that the hostel warden delayed shifting the students to the hospital as she was concerned about saving her job.
In a video shared on social media, one of the students said, “When we asked the warden to dial 108 for an ambulance, she said she was concerned about losing her job. She gave a tablet and asked a quack to administer an injection to the students without getting them consulted with a doctor.”
Some other students said that they were served dal and rice and discovered the worms as they were finishing the dinner. “When we complained about the worms, the hostel management did not pay any heed. Once the students began vomiting, the staff panicked,” they added.
The hostel staff allegedly did not take the students to the hospital, and after the students informed their parents, they were shifted to the hospital for check-ups. Doctors were providing treatment to the students, even as the parents demanded action against the hostel staff.
The students also expressed concern, saying they are supposed to appear for Class 10 pre-final exams in two weeks and that such incidents could affect their preparation.
This is the latest incident of food poisoning in Telangana.
On January 30, as many as 38 students of Bodiyathanda Government Primary School in Telangana’s Konijerla mandal were rushed to a hospital due to food poisoning, with 10 of them falling critically ill, a day after 45 students fell ill after consuming mid-day meals at a government primary school in Sangareddy
district.It was not immediately clear what led to food poisoning. However, the students showed symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. Villagers, parents and school staff immediately arranged for the affected students to be taken to the Khammam Government Hospital.
This post was last modified on February 7, 2026 3:16 pm