Bad dinner: 200 cadet college kids suffer food poisoning

Mess in-charge blames kebab, bread

HYDERABAD: Around 200 students of the Cadet College Petaro in Jamshoro suffered food poisoning on Tuesday night after having dinner at the college mess, sources disclosed on Wednesday.

According to reports, the children were initially treated at the college hospital but at least 12 of them were taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) on Wednesday. The hospital authorities, however, declined to confirm the reports. The affected kids are believed to be students of grades eight to 12 (intermediate).

The college principal, Commodore Mehmood Ilahi, told The Express Tribune that only 50 to 60 children had fallen ill because of food poisoning, but he denied having any knowledge of some of them being taken to the CMH. “Two of the students were feeling sicker than the rest. Maybe they were taken to the hospital.”

The mess in-charge, Idrees, said some 650 students had had dinner at the mess that night. “The kids who had fast food were fine. Only those who had kebab and bread fell ill.” He estimated that 150 students had complained of feeling sick.

“Samples of the kebab and bread have been sent to a food lab in Karachi,” he said. “An inquiry committee has also been formed by the principal to investigate the incident.”

Some 49 students are reportedly still admitted at the college hospital. Sources said at least two children were taken to the Hilal-e-Ahmar Hospital in Hyderabad’s Latifabad town.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2015.