Gajapati: At least 70 girl students of a residential school in G Udaygiri block of the district were taken ill after consuming food in the school hostel late on Thursday night.
According to sources, several students of the Tabarasingh Sebashram School in the area complained of uneasiness and showed symptoms of stomach pain and vomiting after consuming rice and dal late last night.
After their condition deteriorated, the school authorities admitted them to the district headquarters hospital in Paralakhemundi.
On being informed, the district administration officials reached the spot and made an on-spot investigation. Later the district Collector Anupam Shah visited the hospital and inspected the health condition of the sick students.
Even the exact cause behind the incident is yet to be ascertained; the district administration said a detail probe will unearth the reason behind it.
Sources said, out of the two cooks employed at the school hostel, one of them was found involved in a dispute a few days ago following which the administration issued a notice for his transfer on Wednesday.
Gajapati Collector Anupam Saha said the administration will also probe into whether the transferred cook has any role in the incident.
Earlier on December 12, at least ten students of Rajpur Tihidi Primary school were taken ill after consuming toxic fruits inside their school premises on while more than forty children were taken ill after consuming leftover food from a feast arranged at Parbatipur village two days before.