国际英语新闻:Number of poisoned Egyptian students rises to 107, protests lead to clashes: local media

CAIRO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The number of Egyptian students who suffered food poisoning on Monday rose to 107, while some other students blocked a road in protest and clashed with the police, state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported on its website.

The health ministry told the newspaper that the number of victims had risen to 107. Earlier Monday night, official MENA news agency put the toll at 90, quoting a statement of the health ministry.

The students of al-Azhar University felt sick after having meals at a dining hall on campus, located in Nasr City in eastern Cairo. The meal contains tuna and vegetables, with rotting tuna suspected to be the cause of poisoning.

The victims have been sent to nearby hospitals for medical treatment, with no deaths reported so far.

After the incident, dozens of angry students blocked a road near the campus on Monday night, and clashed with the police who attempted to disperse the students by firing teargas.

Earlier this month, more than 500 students at al-Azhar University were hospitalized due to food poisoning. Protests over the incident led to the sacking of University President Osama al- Abd.