The number of poisoned people in the town of Buynaksk in Dagestan has risen to 71, including 61 children. This was reported to TASS on Wednesday by the press service of the city administration.
Earlier it was reported about 50 children were poisoned.
"Overnight, 21 more people contacted. At present, the number of poisoned in Buynaksk has increased to 71 people, 61 of them children," the spokesman of the agency said.
Investigative bodies of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Dagestan called the preliminary cause of the poisoning contaminated drinking water, an investigative check is being carried out. The head of the city Islamudin Nurgudayev reported the day before that expired products from gift sets could be the cause of the mass poisoning of children.
"The reason - today we consider food poisoning, and from water or products, it will be established by Rospotrebnadzor. We have three water sources in the city, samples are taken from each of them. But there are children who did not drink the water. A version with New Year presents and tangerines appeared when parents of some children said that they felt ill after eating them, but they did not drink the water. Everything is being tested. We have to wait for the results from the specialists", Nurgudayev explained to journalists on Wednesday.
As acting Health Minister of Dagestan Tatyana Belyaeva said earlier, Buynaksk medical institutions have enough beds in case the children are hospitalized and also "a full range of necessary medicines". In addition, the acting minister noted that until the source of the food poisoning is identified, the city residents are advised not to consume raw water.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS