ZAMBOANGA CITY, 11 September 2005 - Dozens of people were hospitalized for severe diarrhea and difficulty in breathing after feasting on meat stew cooked with cassava starch in the southern island of Mindanao, officials said.
Most of the victims were teachers and parents attending a school meeting in the village of Alimbayong in Magpet town of North Cotabato province on Friday, town mayor Efren Pi?ol said. âAt least 15 of the victims were seriously poisoned, but health experts are still investigating what triggered the mass poisoning,â he said by phone from the hospital yesterday. Investigators said the cassava starch used in the stew have been contaminated.
The cassava root is widely consumed in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world, but it can also be poisonous if not completely peeled or thoroughly cooked.
Last week, at least 33 people were hospitalized near Magpet town after they cooked and ate a rabid dog.
| These people just aren't too smart. |
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