Photo: Unsplash
Photo: Unsplash
A total of 37 people were left nursing the severe symptoms of food poisoning on Wednesday night, after a community event turned into a nightmare. Emergency services were called to a gathering at Seawinds in the Western Cape, as both adults and children alike battled with severe bouts of stomach cramps and vomiting.
Food poisoning leaves dozens of people requiring hospital treatment
Seawinds is located near Muizenberg, and it’s roughly 25km outside of Cape Town. The tight-knit community often hosts cook-outs like these, but very rarely does it end in such a disaster.
The madcap scene played out just before 22:00. It’s understood that a community-cooked batch of food at an informal home was to blame for the mass sickness. After feeding a large group of locals, the worst possible scenario played out – and first responders were required to help ease the communal pain.
The bad batch: Dodgy cooking downs Western Cape residents
Upon arrival, medics sent the patients to nearby clinics for urgent care. The incident is now under investigation, and according to a statement released by ER24, this round of food poisoning was particularly debilitating.
“ER24, Life Healthcare, and Metro Services arrived on St Patrick Avenue at 22:10 to find a number of adults and children crowded around two informal homes. It is believed that a number of people had all eaten from a community-cooked batch of food before they began experiencing stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting symptoms.”
“Medics assessed the patients and found that thirty-seven people, including several children, were complaining of severe stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. The patients were treated and thereafter transported to nearby clinics for urgent care. The relevant authorities were on the scene for further investigations.”
- ER24 posted their full statement on the food poisoning incident here:
[SEAWINDS] – Numerous hospitalised following alleged food poisoning.https://t.co/WD9PihfcEt#realhelprealfast
— ER24 EMS (Pty) Ltd. (@ER24EMS) October 14, 2021
