45 students fall ill at Kalaburagi hostel after meal, probe launched
Synopsis
Two Karnataka government hostels, one in Kalaburagi and one in Bengaluru, reported suspected food poisoning on the same night, with over 45 students falling ill in Kalaburagi alone. Authorities are investigating whether a contaminated water tanker or spoiled food — or both — caused the outbreak, as over 35 students remain under hospital care.
Key Takeaways
More than 45 students of the Morarji Desai Minority Residential Hostel , Dandoti village , Kalaburagi , fell ill after dinner on Thursday, 10 July .
Over 35 students were transferred to Taluk Hospital, Chittapur ; all are reported to be in stable condition.
Officials suspect contaminated drinking water from a tanker or poor-quality food (rice and sambar) as the likely cause; lab samples are to be collected.
Minority Welfare Department District Officer Sangamesh and Tehsildar Nagayya Hiremath visited the site and confirmed improvement in students' conditions.
In a separate incident, 11 students of Ambedkar Residential School, Basavanapura, Bengaluru South , were also hospitalised the same night with suspected food poisoning.
More than 45 students of the Morarji Desai Minority Residential Hostel in Dandoti village, Kalaburagi district, Karnataka, fell ill after consuming their evening meal on Thursday, 10 July, prompting authorities to launch a formal inquiry. The affected students, all enrolled in Classes 6 to 10, began vomiting shortly after eating rice and sambar served at the hostel.
What Happened
According to preliminary information, the students showed symptoms soon after dinner on Thursday night. They were first taken to the Primary Health Centre in Dandoti for first aid. As the condition of several students required closer attention, more than 35 of them were subsequently transferred to the Taluk Hospital in Chittapur for further treatment. Parents rushed to the hostel upon learning of the incident.
Suspected Cause
Officials suspect the illness may have been triggered by contaminated drinking water, poor-quality food, or a combination of both — though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed. Authorities are specifically examining reports that students had been consuming water supplied by a contaminated tanker, which is suspected to have contributed to the outbreak. Samples of the food and water are expected to be sent for laboratory analysis.
Official Response
Minority Welfare Department District Officer Sangamesh visited both the hostel and the hospital to assess the situation and monitor treatment. Tehsildar Nagayya Hiremath confirmed that the condition of the children had shown improvement. The condition of all affected students is currently reported to be stable. Notably, the hostel falls within the Chittapur Assembly constituency, represented by state Home Minister Priyank Kharge.
A Wider Pattern in Karnataka
This incident is not isolated. In a separate case, 11 students of the Ambedkar Residential School in Basavanapura, located in Bengaluru South district, were hospitalised on the same Thursday night after reportedly falling ill due to suspected food poisoning following dinner. Those students had complained of severe stomach pain after consuming rice and leafy vegetable curry and were taken to a district hospital, where they are currently under treatment. Two hostel food-safety incidents in a single night across Karnataka raise broader questions about the adequacy of quality checks in government-run residential schools.
What Comes Next
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the precise cause of the Kalaburagi outbreak. The findings of the laboratory analysis of food and water samples are expected to shape any departmental action. With a senior official having already inspected the premises, pressure is mounting on the Minority Welfare Department to tighten food and water safety protocols across residential hostels in the state.
Point of View
Yet oversight mechanisms remain reactive rather than preventive. The contaminated-tanker angle in Kalaburagi, if confirmed, would point to a procurement and inspection gap that no single inquiry will fix. The political optics are also uncomfortable: the affected hostel sits in the constituency of the state's own Home Minister, making it harder to dismiss this as a remote administrative lapse.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Morarji Desai Hostel in Kalaburagi?
More than 45 students fell ill after eating rice and sambar at the hostel in Dandoti village on the night of 10 July 2025. Over 35 of them were shifted to Taluk Hospital in Chittapur and are reported to be in stable condition.
What is the suspected cause of the illness?
Officials suspect contaminated drinking water supplied by a tanker, poor-quality food, or a combination of both. Food and water samples are expected to be sent for laboratory analysis to confirm the cause.
Which students were affected and where are they now?
Students studying in Classes 6 to 10 at the Morarji Desai Minority Residential Hostel were affected. Most were first treated at the Primary Health Centre in Dandoti; over 35 were subsequently transferred to Taluk Hospital in Chittapur, where their condition is reported to be stable.
Has any official action been taken?
Minority Welfare Department District Officer Sangamesh visited the hostel and hospital to inspect the situation. Tehsildar Nagayya Hiremath confirmed improvement in the students' conditions. Authorities have launched a formal investigation.
Were there other similar incidents in Karnataka on the same night?
Yes. Separately, 11 students of Ambedkar Residential School in Basavanapura, Bengaluru South district, were hospitalised on the same Thursday night with suspected food poisoning after consuming rice and leafy vegetable curry at their hostel.
