Over 500 Egyptian students of Al-Azhar University, a leading centre of Islamic learning, have been admitted to a hospital here with food poisoning, sparking widespread protests.
Hundreds of angry students gathered today to protest deteriorating conditions at the university's hostels and negligence by management after the health ministry said 540 students from Al-Azhar had been hospitalised.
Student union member Abdullah Abdel-Moteleb told Al-Ahram newspaper that meals served at the hostel yesterday were of noticeably poorer quality than usual.
"By around 6pm, dozens were suffering the effects of food poisoning and were taken to hospital," he said.
The country's top prosecutor, meanwhile, ordered a probe into the case.
Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb has also formed a committee to investigate the case. Al-Tayyeb asked the president of the university to review the food system of the dormitories.
Students gathered at the university headquarters and marched towards Al-Azhar Sheikhdom to demand the university take responsibility for a mass food poisoning. Violent clashes broke out between students and staff.
Some of the protesting students demanded the resignation of the university president and the student union released a statement demanding a prompt investigation into the incident.
The university belongs to Al-Azhar mosque, the world's foremost seat of Sunni Muslim learning.
