KUALA TERENGGANU: A Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) training camp turned disastrous for 22 students when they came down with food poisoning after having breakfast at a resort here.
The students from SMK Guntong complained of stomachache and vomiting at about 8am on Thursday, said state education director Jelani Sulong.
He said it started when eight of the students fell ill and were rushed to the Setiu Hospital by the teachers on duty.
“Not long after that, two more students complained of stomach pain and were sent to the Permaisuri health clinic for treatment.
“After that, 12 more students were found to have symptoms of food poisoning,” he said.
Jelani said following the incident, officers from the Setiu district health office conducted checks and took samples of food served to the students for analysis.
One of the affected students was warded while the others were allowed to return home, he said, Bernama reported.
“The case has been handed over to the health office for investigation and further action,” he added when contacted yesterday.
The incident is the latest in a string of other food poisoning cases in the country.
According to the Health Ministry, there were 51 food poisoning incidents recorded for every 100,000 people in Malaysia in 2023 – more than double the rate of 18.4 incidents in 2021.
