Nha Trang food poisoning case escalates with over 200 hospitalized

By Bui Toan March 14, 2024 | 07:11 am PT

People receive food poisoning treatment at a hospital in Nha Trang, March 2024. Photo by Ly Ly

At least 222 people have been hospitalized for food poisoning over the past three days in Nha Trang, with at least 60 of them having eaten at a local chicken rice eatery.

Nguyen Thanh Ha, spokesman of Khanh Hoa Province People's Committee, said 157 of the patients are staying at 12 hospitals and medical centers while the rest have been given medication and sent home.

Authorities recorded the first 60 people, including tourists and locals, suffering food poisoning on Wednesday night. They all had meals from Tram Anh chicken rice eatery in the central coastal town at different points earlier.

Nha Trang Health Department said more patients continued to be sent in on Thursday afternoon.

Most of the patients are stable, it said.

Trinh Ngoc Hiep, deputy director of Khanh Hoa Province’s Health Department, said no conclusion could be reached yet as it is still waiting for results of tests on the patients’ samples as well as the eatery’s food samples.

The authorities also have not determined if the new patients are linked to the chicken rice eatery.

The eatery is legally licensed and has been certified for food safety. However, its owner has failed to present contracts for purchasing ingredients.