Food poisoning hits hundreds of Riau residents

Hundreds of residents at Talau village in Indragiri Hulu regency, Riau, are being treated at community health centers in a suspected case of mass food poisoning.

Wira, an official at a community health center in Lirik, reported that 130 people experienced nausea and vomiting.

“The patients are of all ages, from three-year-old toddlers to grandparents,” Wira said over the weekend, adding that his center was treating 57 patients.

He cited victims’ relatives, who said the patients received food packages from a man named Badul.

“Food deliveries to neighbors and close relatives are common among local residents who host wedding receptions. The deliveries are in lieu of an invitation,” Wira said.

Badul, Wira said, distributed 400 food packages to Talau villagers.

“The following morning, half of all the residents who ate the food complained of nausea and vomiting,” he said. — JP