Sixteen workers poisoned

BOGOR (JP): Sixteen workers from tire manufacturer PT Good Year were sent to hospital for treatment for food poisoning on Tuesday.

Haryanto, 29, one of the affected workers, claimed he suffered from a sore stomach and frequent bouts of vomiting hours after returning home from his office.

He went immediately to the company-owned health center for treatment. "When I arrived, I met two colleagues, Endang and Wahyudin, who were suffering from the same complaint," he said on Wednesday.

"The health center sent us to the Indonesian Red Cross hospital around 9 p.m. for further treatment as more workers with the same complaints arrived," he said.

Nine of the 16 workers were allowed to go home after treatment, while seven others, Haryanto, Dana, Cecap, Tatang, Entis, Iip and Ahari, were asked to stay in hospital overnight for further observation.

Haryanto alleged that the ailment was caused by food supplied at work earlier on Tuesday.

However, Hari Subiyanto, a manager at PT Good Year who supervises the health and environment division, refuted Haryanto's statement.

"They might have eaten badly prepared food outside the office," he said. (24/09)