Two die, hundreds critical in mass poisoning

Mon, 03/30/2009 12:59 PM  |  The Archipelago

KUPANG, W. Nusa Tenggara: Two people have died and more than 145 others are still receiving medical treatment Sunday after consuming sliced ice rolls on Friday that they bought from a street vendor.

The dead victims were identified as Mikron Edison Lopo, 18, an 11th-grader at state senior high school SMAN I South Amanuban, and Lukius Tse, 15, a resident of Bena subdistrict, South Amanuban district, South Timor Tengah regency.

South Timor Tengah Health Agency head Markus Righuta said that of the 145 poisoned people, 105 were being treated at the Panite Community Health Center (puskesmas), 34 were receiving outpatient treatment and the rest were at Soe Hospital.

He said to learn about the source of the poison, his office had taken urine and feces samples from the victims for laboratory testing.

One of the victims, Jhoni, 17, of SMAN I South Amanuban, complained of dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea after eating a slice of ice roll that he bought for Rp 500 from a street vendor at his school.

South Timor Tengah Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Suprianto said his office was investigating the case.

"We don't know yet whether they were really poisoned, because there are also students who experienced nothing despite also eating the ice rolls," he said. -JP

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.