Dozens of Egyptians in Minya Governorate suffered mass food poisoning after consuming spoiled meals at a popular restaurant. Local authorities quickly closed the restaurant and raised the alert level in hospitals.

An official source at the Minya Health Directorate stated that the number of food poisoning cases rose to 82 after consuming a rice and chicken meal from a well-known restaurant located in the Abu Hilal area of South Minya. Symptoms included vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, high fever, and severe abdominal pain.

The incident began with reports of 7 people suffering poisoning after eating at the restaurant, and shortly after, the number of cases increased to 82, with patients distributed across hospitals in the governorate.

Dr. Mahmoud Omar Abdel Wahab, Deputy Minister of Health in Minya, said the directorate formed a committee that visited the restaurant, took samples of the food and from the patients, and sent them to central laboratories for analysis. The restaurant and its remaining food were seized.

Following the incident, the restaurant owners issued a statement claiming they were subjected to a “deliberate campaign to damage the reputation of the restaurant, its management, and staff, following its success and competitive prices,” describing the incident as mere “rumors.”

Source: Egyptian media