Workers get food poisoning

TANGERANG: Some 200 workers at the PT Karet Murni Kencana shoe factory on Jl. Raya Serang, Cikupa district, Tangerang regency, were rushed to hospital on Wednesday evening due to food poisoning.

As of Thursday, the workers were still being treated at the Tangerang General Hospital, Al-Qadr Hospital, Siloam Gleneagles Hospital, Honoris Hospital and the Husada Insani Hospital.

One of the workers, Wati, 24, who was still receiving treatment at the Tangerang General Hospital, said that the workers had started to feel dizzy and queasy at around 4 p.m., before many of them fainted while working at their factory benches.

Around 300 workers ate the company-provided lunch at midday.

The factory security guards reported the incident to the management, which quickly arranged for the affected workers to be brought to hospital.

Tangerang Police detectives deputy chief Insp. Kustanto said that his officers had summoned the owner of the catering company that supplied the food for questioning.

"We have taken samples of the food for laboratory tests," he said. -- JP