Family dies of 'food poisoning'

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

A family of five in Sikka regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has died and 11 others have been hospitalized for suspected food poisoning after eating fish they had caught, a doctor said on Thursday.

TC Hillers Hospital head Benyamin Boli said the family had consumed the fish they had caught on Tuesday and all five died a few hours later at their home after suffering from acute stomachache and vomiting.

Eleven other villagers from Semparong, Maumere subdistrict, who also ate the same fish, were rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.

"After people had died (of the suspected poisoning), local villagers then brought others to the hospital," he said.

Benyamin said doctors were conducting tests to see whether the fish was really the cause of the deaths, as several others who had also eaten the fish did not fall ill.

However, he said his hospital has no facilities for laboratory tests.

"It could be possible that residents had drunk water that was contaminated by a virus," the doctor said.

Maumere detective chief Ferry Irawan told AFP that a forensic team would be sent to the island on Friday to collect samples from the homes of the victims.

Local resident Abdullah said the five dead victims were all from one family: Nazaruddin, his mother, his wife and their two children.

"They died after eating the fish they caught in the sea. After eating it, they vomited suddenly, fainted and died soon afterward," he said.

Cases of food poisoning are common in Indonesia, partly due to a lack of hygiene and public sanitation.

Last Monday, 34 residents of Talaka subdistrict, Pangkajene Kepulauan, South Sulawesi, were also hospitalized for food poisoning.

The victims fell sick after attending a neighbor's wedding reception. However, they could not identify what food might have made them sick, as various dishes were served at the reception, including pickles, fried chicken and fish.