According to a preliminary report, some 140 pupils have been poisoned with substandard foods of the “Lunch” program, in the Bulgan soum in the Khovd province. Among the pupils poisoned, 26 are still being treated in hospital and one child is in serious condition. The other 117 are being treated in their dormitories. Urgent measures are being taken, and related experts are investigating the case.

According to the Vice director of the General Emergency Authority, D. Namsrai, who is leading a working group established by the order of State Emergency Commission, 3rd-5th grade students were the ones affected. Most of them had symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea and high fever. Some were taken with convulsions. Specialized doctors were sent from UB and the children are expected to recover soon.

The first diagnosis emitted by the experts seems to suggest the source of the poisoning were the pies, maybe a sort of Mille-feuilles (Napoleon cake) the children were given for dessert. About ten minutes after eating the pies, the first symptoms started to appear. The pies, or mille-feuilles, were made in the soum and samples are being tested.

A similar case of food poisoning had occurred in UB Russian-Mongolian school n3 in late January where 132 students were poisoned after eating at the school cafeteria. 132 students aged 7 to 11 had to be taken to the National Center for Communicable Diseases for intensive treatments as they suffered from acute diarrhoea. 14 children had been treated in reanimation unit at the National Center.  

The decision to momentarily close the Russia-Mongolia joint school No.3 had been taken following the results of analysis performed on the cafeteria’s various food samples revealing the presence of an infectious virus.

The Minister of Education, Culture, and Sciences Y. Otgonbayar had taken the decision to relieve the school’s principal J. Soronzon of his duty and the cafeteria’s cook was sent to the Gantskhudag prison.

Sukhbaatar District Court has stayed the execution of the order by the Minister for Education, Culture and Science Yo. Otgonbayar to dismiss principal of Russian-Mongolian School J. Soronzon. The court will review the matter only after the Minister gives more reasons for his order.

Эх сурвалж Өдрийн шуудан сонин