Fast-food outlets shuttered in Saudi city after mass poisoning

Cairo: Authorities in a Saudi governorate have shut down two fast-food restaurants as a precaution after more than 100 people suffered food poisoning allegedly after having meals there, a Saudi news portal reported.

The victims were transferred to a government-run hospital in the Abu Arish governorate in the Jizan Province in south-western Saudi Arabia after having the meals at the two famed restaurants, added Sabq.

“All cases admitted into the hospital because of food poisoning have left after receiving complete health care,” Sabq quoted unidentified sources as saying. There are no official figures yet about the cases.

Meanwhile, Jizan Governor Prince Mohammed bin Nasser ordered the formation of an urgent committee to investigate the poisoning incident.

The governor instructed intensified inspections of restaurants and food stores across the province.

The food poisoning cases were detected on Wednesday, according to Saudi media reports.

The incident was the second of its kind reported in the kingdom in less than two months.

In late April, 75 people were hospitalised due to food poisoning at a restaurant in Riyadh, an incident that resulted in one death. They included 69 Saudi citizens and six expatriates, health authorities said at the time.

On April 25, authorities in Riyadh reported detecting several food poisoning cases traced back to a restaurant.

The Riyadh mayoralty said a report compiled by an epidemiological investigation committee had blamed a food establishment in Riyadh for the incident. The poisoning was found to have been caused by meals served by the outlet.

The mayoralty said it had shut down the main supply facility of the establishment in question and all its branches in Riyadh and the neighbouring city of Al Kharj.