Top Azhar cleric Ahmed al-Tayeb convened an urgent meeting on Tuesday with university president Ossama al-Abd and board members to discuss a food poisoning crisis that began on Monday, a local newspaper has reported.

According to Egypt's health minister, 561 students have been diagnosed with food poisoning since Monday which students claim is a result of campus food.

Sheikh Tayeb and Prime Minister Hisham Kandil had both ordered concerned parties to begin investigating the incident to punish all those who are responsible in order to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s general prosecutor had ordered a team to confiscate cooking utensils and food samples to send them over to medical labs to examine them and determine the reason behind the outbreak.

Hundreds of Azhar students had gathered in protest on Monday, blocking main roads and bringing traffic to a halt, to express anger over campus meals, which they deemed unfit.

Tens of students organized a protest by the Azhar campus early on Tuesday against the university president who has suspended some staff members, including the university’s food director, from work.

The students reportedly stormed Al-Azhar later, closing Salah Salem Street from both sides while state television reported that President Mohamed Mursi has headed to one of the hospitals where the students were admitted in a surprise visit.