CHENNAI: As many as 46 students of the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development in Kancheepuram were rushed to the Sriperumbudur Government Hospital after complaints of vomiting, diarrhoea, fainting and nausea.

The students had lunch at the college hostel and developed the symptoms in the classroom after the lunch break. Currently, all of them are stable.

The initial interrogation on the sudden symptoms of the students suggests food poisoning or water contamination and further investigation is being done by the Sriperumbudur police authorities.

More than 500 students from Tamil Nadu and other neighbouring states are studying at the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development.

There are about 160 students staying in the hostel facilities of the college. On Tuesday, the students had their lunch and went back to their respective classrooms.

Suddenly some of the students started vomiting and fainting, and 46 students were rushed to the Sriperumbudur Government Hospital in ambulances. Dr Jayabharathi, Medical Officer of the Sriperumbudur Government Hospital said that all the students are currently stable and many of them are dehydrated. They are being given rehydration solutions and all of them are out of danger, " she said.

Based on the initial investigation by the Sriperumbudur police, it was found that all the students staying in three different hostel blocks were given the same food but only one block students had developed health problems.

It also indicates water contamination and the cause is being investigated. The hospital authorities said that students would have developed the illness due to food or water contamination.