Scores of children hospitalised after suspected food poisoning at EC school

It’s understood that the children ate rice and tinned fish from the school’s nutrition programme before developing symptoms, including nausea and vomiting.

The Eastern Cape provincial government said the number of learners hospitalised from the Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Ncise village, outside Mthatha, on Wednesday afternoon climbed to 120 and is expected to rise.

It’s understood that the children ate rice and tinned fish from the school’s nutrition programme before developing symptoms, including nausea and vomiting.

Emergency teams were dispatched with seven ambulances, three patient transport vehicles and an air ambulance for critical cases.

Gobisizwe Agricultural School turned into a mass casualty scene.

About 70 learners were rushed to hospitals in Mthatha first, then another 30 fell ill and were also admitted, with one airlifted in serious condition.

Health officials said some learners had already gone home when they started showing symptoms, raising concerns that the case count will keep growing.

Provincial health spokesperson Siyanda Manana said: “Now we are also still receiving calls from the control centre as other children went home and started being sick at home, so the number is likely to increase.”

Paramedics are split between the Nelson Mandela Academic, Mthatha regional and Ngangelizwe community hospitals, monitoring those still in care.