Fire victims suffer food poisoning<\/p>\n
Andi Hajramurni
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Makassar<\/p>\n
After surviving a fire that reduced their houses and belongings
\nto ashes last week, 30 residents of Tarakan, Malimongan Tua, Wajo
\ndistrict are now facing another ordeal -- food poisoning.<\/p>\n
One-year-old Dani, one of the food poisoning victims, lay
\nhelplessly in Jala Ammiri Navy hospital on Saturday. His face was
\nstill pale, while he kept holding onto his mother.<\/p>\n
Apart from Dani, 13 other residents -- mostly children, were
\nbeing treated at the hospital, while other victims were being
\ntaken care of at two other hospitals.<\/p>\n
The people had to be hospitalized because of their weak
\ncondition and they had to be fed intravenously to neutralize the
\npoison.<\/p>\n
The victims suffered food poisoning after eating chicken
\nporridge from a passing food vendor on Friday.<\/p>\n
They bought the porridge because most of them are still unable
\nto cook as they are still living in temporary shelters and in the
\nruins of their houses.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have the chance to cook while we, especially the
\nchildren, are already hungry. Many of us bought the porridge and
\nate it. We had no suspicion whatsoever that there was something
\nwrong with the porridge since the food vendor usually passes the
\narea,\" said Ilham, one of the residents.<\/p>\n
But an hour later, those who consumed the porridge started to
\nfeel ill and throw up. Others suffered stomach pain and diarrhea.<\/p>\n
After their condition deteriorated, they were then taken to
\nthree nearby hospitals.<\/p>\n
Gigih, one of the officials at Jala Ammiri hospital, said the
\nhospital was not yet able identify the cause of the food
\npoisoning.<\/p>\n
\"The victims said they started to feel the symptoms after
\nconsuming the chicken porridge,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The hospital has taken samples of the porridge consumed by the
\npatients for laboratory tests. Similar samples were also taken by
\nthe police to be examined at the forensic laboratory to determine
\nthe cause of the food poisoning.<\/p>\n
The chicken porridge seller, Ari, is now being questioned at
\nWajo Police Station.<\/p>\n
The food poisoning victims' houses were razed in a fire on
\nFeb. 10. Fifty houses were burned down, forcing the residents to
\nlive in shelters and in what remains of their houses.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fire-victims-suffer-food-poisoning-1447893297",
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