Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil on Monday night ordered the Ministry of Interior to investigate the recurring food-poisoning incidents at al-Azhar University dormitory immediately.

Thirty-eight students were poisoned today after having meals containing bad tuna, the Ministry of Health reported.

Kandil also urged the Minister of Health to pay visits to the sick students who had been transferred to hospitals.

Those responsible for the incident should be held accountable, Kandil said in a statement on his official Facebook page.

Thirteen ambulances are transferring the sick students to a number of hospitals, the ministry said, adding that there are no deaths reported so far.

Police forces teargassed Azhar students who blocked Cairo's Nasr Road in protest against the incident.

This incident comes less than one month after another major food poisoning case at the university's cafeteria.

More than 540 students had been poisoned a few weeks ago after eating bad food at the dormitory cafeteria.

This has prompted a wave of protests which ended with sacking Osama al-Abd, the Azhar University president.