Seven people affected in suspected coffee poisoning in Kuseife shuk

Victims were suffering from stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and low blood pressure.

By YASSER OKBI/ MAARIV HASHAVUA
Police and fire department at Kuseife shuk, January 3, 2014 (photo credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Police and fire department at Kuseife shuk, January 3, 2014
(photo credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Coffee from an improvised cafe-kiosk in the shuk in Kuseife was thought to have caused seven people to fall ill on Saturday morning. Magen David paramedics evacuated the seven people to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba. The sick experienced symptoms of nausea and dizziness with one in moderate condition and the other six only mildly affected.
Personnel from the fire department were at the scene examining and neutralizing the material that was ingested. Ministry of Health officials arrived at the scene and took samples of the coffee for laboratory testing. Police were on hand investigating at the market in the southern Beduin town.
"Immediately after I drank the coffee this morning I felt sick," Ali, one of the victims of the poisoning told Maariv-Hashavua.
Soroka Medical Center said the victims were suffering from stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and low blood pressure and samples were taken to identify the cause of the symptoms.