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43 students, 4 Babati teachers critically ill soon after lunch
2007-01-26 08:59:58
By Adam Ihucha, Manyara
At least 43 boarding students and four teachers of Dareda Secondary School in the Manyara District headquarters, Babati, are admitted to Dareda Mission Hospital after eating food suspected to have been poisoned.
They ate the food at the school cafeteria at lunchtime and their condition is said to be critical.
Babati Health Officer Abdon Kilinga confirmed the incident, saying it occurred on Tuesday.
The hospital`s chief medical officer, Dr. Abraham Laizer, told reporters yesterday that they first received a few unconscious students at around 4:30 pm on Tuesday but the number had soared to 43 by 6:00 pm.
`Their condition is not impressive but we are working overtime to try and save their lives,` Dr. Laizer said, adding that most of the victims were suffering from nausea and vomiting.
Health Department officials have since taken food samples from the cafeteria where the meals were served for delivery to the Chief Government Chemist for further tests, said Kilinga.
`Preliminary findings point to food poisoning. However, that will not be confirmed until the food samples have been tested by the Chief Government Chemist in Dar es Salaam,` he said.
Kilinga explained that health authorities had directed the school`s management to find alternative food until the ongoing investigations are completed.
The school`s headmaster, Richard Masamaki, said the affected students and teachers started feeling ill shortly after having ugali, beans and vegetables for lunch on Tuesday afternoon.
Suspecting that something might be wrong with the food, officials at the school stopped students from continuing with the lunch and immediately rushed the sick to hospital.
`Thank God, the incident has not claimed any life until now. Hopefully, our dear students will soon recover and resume classes,` said the headmaster.
He said the food was prepared using white flour from maize harvested at the school farm `but, strangely, the students soon started complaining of stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever.`
Parents were seen scrambling at the school yesterday as they collected their children, fearing for their lives following the incident.
Reports say this is the first such episode in Manyara Region in recent memory.
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