Students receive medical care after showing signs of food poisoning following their breakfast at Kim Thuy Semi-Boarding Elementary School for Ethnic Minorities in Kim Ngan Commune, Quang Tri Province, central Vietnam, September 26, 2025. Photo: Nhan Dan (People) newspaper
The incident began at around 8:00 am when students of Kim Thuy Semi-Boarding Elementary School for Ethnic Minorities in Kim Ngan Commune developed severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and nausea after eating ‘banh tay,' a sticky rice cake wrapped in banana leaves.
Some students reported the cakes had an unusual odor.
Nearly 20 children were rushed in local vehicles to Le Thuy General Hospital for emergency treatment, and the number later rose to 40 by noon.
Health inspectors have sealed food samples for testing and launched an investigation into possible lapses in food preparation at the school, where most students are Van Kieu ethnic children who have breakfast at school.
