Fire victims suffer food poisoning

Fire victims suffer food poisoning

Andi Hajramurni
The Jakarta Post/Makassar

After surviving a fire that reduced their houses and belongings
to ashes last week, 30 residents of Tarakan, Malimongan Tua, Wajo
district are now facing another ordeal -- food poisoning.

One-year-old Dani, one of the food poisoning victims, lay
helplessly in Jala Ammiri Navy hospital on Saturday. His face was
still pale, while he kept holding onto his mother.

Apart from Dani, 13 other residents -- mostly children, were
being treated at the hospital, while other victims were being
taken care of at two other hospitals.

The people had to be hospitalized because of their weak
condition and they had to be fed intravenously to neutralize the
poison.

The victims suffered food poisoning after eating chicken
porridge from a passing food vendor on Friday.

They bought the porridge because most of them are still unable
to cook as they are still living in temporary shelters and in the
ruins of their houses.

"We don't have the chance to cook while we, especially the
children, are already hungry. Many of us bought the porridge and
ate it. We had no suspicion whatsoever that there was something
wrong with the porridge since the food vendor usually passes the
area," said Ilham, one of the residents.

But an hour later, those who consumed the porridge started to
feel ill and throw up. Others suffered stomach pain and diarrhea.

After their condition deteriorated, they were then taken to
three nearby hospitals.

Gigih, one of the officials at Jala Ammiri hospital, said the
hospital was not yet able identify the cause of the food
poisoning.

"The victims said they started to feel the symptoms after
consuming the chicken porridge," he said.

The hospital has taken samples of the porridge consumed by the
patients for laboratory tests. Similar samples were also taken by
the police to be examined at the forensic laboratory to determine
the cause of the food poisoning.

The chicken porridge seller, Ari, is now being questioned at
Wajo Police Station.

The food poisoning victims' houses were razed in a fire on
Feb. 10. Fifty houses were burned down, forcing the residents to
live in shelters and in what remains of their houses.