Children suffer food poisoning

PURBALINGGA, Central Java: Nineteen students of an elementary school in Purbalingga regency fell sick yesterday due to food poisoning.

Children eating miwo, a cheap local snack made of fried bean curd which can be bought for Rp 25 (less than one cent) at the school canteen, became ill and had to be hospitalized.

Head of Kaligondang health center Veronica Mulyadi said that some leftovers, oil residues and the frying pans used to prepare the snacks had been brought in to the laboratory for analysis.

Three adults were also taken ill. The school canteen's owner was taken in for questioning by the police. (wah/31)