Shawerma sends 80 to hospital

RIYADH, 18 May — Eighty people were rushed to hospital in Riyadh suffering from food poisoning after eating meat at a restaurant, the Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday. Forty-five people were discharged while the rest remained in Riyadh’s Iman General Hospital, SPA said. They ate “shawerma” on Thursday. Riyadh Governor Prince Salman ordered the restaurant closed. Food samples were ordered tested to know the cause of the poison, SPA reported. Dr. Hamad ibn Abdullah Al-Manie, who is in charge of health affairs in Riyadh, was quoted by the agency as saying that those in hospital are in a stable condition. The hospital is still receiving calls from people suffering from food poisoning, he said.