http://www.newagebd.com/2008/may/11/front.html#3
New Age, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sunday, May 11, 2008
700 RMG workers fall ill after having lunch
Staff Correspondent
At least 700 workers, including 500 females, of a foreign garments
factory fell ill after having their lunch at Khejurbagan of Ashulia at
Savar Saturday afternoon.
Of the ailing workers, 70 were undergoing treatment at Cosmopolitan
Industry Limited Hospital while the others were treated at different
local clinics and hospitals.
According to the victims, seven hundred workers of the Indian-owned
garment factory suddenly fell ill after they had their lunch supplied
by local SS Enterprise owned by one Shahabuddin Ahmed at around 2:30pm
in the factory dining room.
As soon as the workers returned to the factory, most of them became
unconscious while the rest started vomiting.
The factory authorities took them to their own medical centre where
they were undergoing treatment till Saturday night, but when most of
the workers fell ill, the authorities took them to the neighbouring
hospital and clinics because of space constraint.
=EF=BF=BDWe have eaten broiler chicken, potatoes and lentil that
smelled
bad but the supplier told us that the smell was due to excessive
hot,=EF=BF=
=BD
Papiya, an ailing worker who was undergoing treatment at the factory
medical centre, told New Age.
Senior executive of the factory Monirul Islam told New Age,
=EF=BF=BDThe
incident took place because of massive food poisoning as the supplied
foods were substandard and all of them fell ill within 10 to 20
minutes after having the lunch.=EF=BF=BD
Dr Ashraf Uddin and Dr Shaorat Afreen of the medical centre told
New Age, =EF=BF=BDPrimarily, we have diagnosed it to be massive food
poisoning, and we will confirm it after examining the food at
Mohakhali on Sunday.=EF=BF=BD
The physicians said acute food poisoning caused the illness, but
the situation was managed well by timely admitting the ill persons to
different hospitals and clinics.
The factory authorities are trying to find out why such a massive
food poisoning took place, and a general diary was filed with the
Ashulia police station in this connection.
Sabita, a knitting operator, said, =EF=BF=BDI was among the ill who had
their lunch in the factory dining room. I started feeling discomfort
within 20 minutes of having the food and fell unconscious.=EF=BF=BD
The officer-in-charge of the Ashulia police station told New Age,
=EF=BF=BDWe are now looking for the reason behind such a massive food
poisoning and we will file a case, if necessary.=EF=BF=BD
The food supplier, however, fled the scene, shutting down his shop.
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