77 Residents In West Bandung Poisoned With Boxed Rice

BANDUNG - The Gununghalu District Health Center, West Bandung Regency, West Java, noted that as many as 77 residents had suspected poisoning from food.

Tens of residents were suspected of being poisoned after consuming boxed rice at a recitation event on Saturday (11/2), in Cilangari Village, Gununghalu District. Then the residents who were poisoned were temporarily evacuated to the mosques in the village.

"Last night all of them were transported to the public health center. We got ambulance assistance from several other areas so that the transport of patients was faster," said Head of the Gununghalu Puskesmas Edi as reported by ANTARA, Monday, February 13.

Edi explained, of the 77 patients with food poisoning, 53 of them needed further treatment. Meanwhile, according to him, 24 patients are already in the recovery period.

Of the 53 patients who need to undergo treatment, according to him, 46 patients can still be treated at the Gununghalu Health Center, while the other 7 patients need to be referred to the Cililin Regional General Hospital (RSUD).

According to him, the patients complained of nausea, dizziness, increased body temperature, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Environmental Health Section of the West Bandung District Health Office, Mawaddah, said that her party was still investigating in detail the cause of the poisoning of dozens of residents.

She said the rice boxes consumed by residents contained white rice, fried chicken, stir-fried vermicelli, and stir-fried potatoes. According to her, samples of the boxed rice have also been brought in for testing.

"We can't make assumptions. Later the exact cause will be waiting for the laboratory results to come out first," said Mawaddah.