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Thursday, March 10, 2005
25 kids die after eating cassava
CEBU CITY -- At least 25 pupils in Mabini, Bohol died in different hospitals, while more than 30 others were still being treated Wednesday night, hours after suffering from food poisoning.
All the victims ate cassava fritters and other snacks made from the root crop around 10 a.m. and immediately suffered from stomach pains, nausea and vomiting.
Many were dead by the time they were brought to the hospital.
The victims, pupils of San Jose Elementary School ages six to 13, bought the food from a stall in front of their school during their recess.
ABS-CBN reported that the vendor, Anna Luyong, 67, is also in critical condition, after she ate some of her goods upon learning about the poisoning. She is being treated at a hospital in Tagbilaran City.
In a live interview, Mayor Stephen Rances said it was the first time the town had seen so many cases of food poisoning.
Cotamora Community Clinic in Ubay, Bohol reported 14 deaths and was still treating seven others, with one in critical condition, as of 9 Wednesday night.
Don Emilio del Valle Memorial Hospital in Ubay reported seven deaths and was treating 32 others.
It received 69 patients, but had to refer 30 of them to the Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital in Talibon town after losing seven patients.
The hospital reported two deaths and was treating 45 other food poisoning victims.
Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City attended to 15 patients, including the vendor. Two of the children died minutes after arrival at the hospital.
Mabini is 104 kilometers from Tagbilaran City, east of Bohol Province. The towns of Ubay and Talibon are an hour's ride from Mabini.
Patients were rushed to the hospitals around 1 p.m. after they started vomiting and complained of severe headaches.
Dr. Winefredo Liao, the municipal health officer, said 15 children were brought to the health center, and because their condition was serious, they were referred to different hospitals.
Mayor Rances said that since his town does not have an ambulance, they had to use two garbage trucks to bring the children to Ubay.
He assured financial assistance to relatives of the victims.
"Mag mass burial siguro mi siguro mi sa lungsod (We're thinking of holding a mass burial in the town)," the mayor said over ABS-CBN's TV Patrol.
Dr. Vincent Entero of the Cotamora Clinic and Alice del Valle, chief nurse of the del Valle hospital, confirmed that the victims died of food poisoning, which they believed resulted from ingesting food processed from cassava.
Del Valle said the condition of the remaining 32 patients was already stable and they may be discharged three to four days from now.
Samples taken from the victims were sent to the Food Poisoning Research Center in UP Manila.
Police in Mabini found rat poison scattered on the floor of Luyang's makeshift store.
Senior Police Officer 4 Ernesto Abueva, however, said they believed that processed cassava was the source of the poison, citing previous cases of cassava poisoning in their town and in Ubay two years ago. (AIV/With PSS of Superbalita)
| Post your experiences to the Sun.Star Graduation section. Click here. | 2005-02-24 04:52:02
mcalvo - My graduation was unforgettable to me and to my classmates. I was so drunk the night before graduation. During the ceremony i dozed to the point of snooring even when i was already standing i was half sleeping. Our dean has to call my name twice and the person behind me has to push me just to wake me up... graduations are memorable...enjoy and congratulations to all graduates!
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(March 10, 2005 issue)
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