JP/5/racun
40 children hospitalized for suspected poisoning
Indra Harsaputra Surabaya
Around 40 students of public elementary school SDN Barata Jaya I in the country's second biggest city, Surabaya, East Java, had to be hospitalized with suspected food poisoning shortly after drinking a beverage on Tuesday.
The local police chief of detectives Adj. Comr. Sudibyo said the victims and their parents reported that the children suddenly suffered breathing problems and stomach cramps after consuming Ribena drinks produced by PT Saji Indonesia.
Teachers at the school in Gubeng subdistrict brought the sick students to hospital, he added.
"Of the 40 children, 20 were taken to the Navy Hospital in Surabaya and the rest to several other hospitals nearby," Sudibyo said.
The police detained a number of salespersons who had distributed boxes of the grape-flavored beverage free of charge to the victims.
"The salespersons promoting the beverage claimed they didn't know it was dangerous as it had also been distributed in other schools across Indonesia and had no (negative) effects," Sudibyo said.
He said the police were also questioning some of the victims and their teachers as part of the investigation, while waiting for laboratory test results as to what had actually caused the children to fall ill.
"We are also seeking statements from the owner of the firm that produces Ribena. If there is any element of intent, the company can be subjected to criminal sanctions," Sudibyo added.
At the Navy Hospital, some of the ill students are still receiving infusions. However, others had been allowed to return home.
The hospital's emergency unit head, Dr. Col. Bambang, said many of the victims were queasy and weak.
The results of the laboratory tests will be known on Wednesday, he said.
Arum, one of the hospitalized students, said she had experienced breathing difficulties and severe stomach cramps after drinking the Ribena.
"I didn't think there could be anything wrong with it as its expiry date was given as July 16, 2004," she explained.