26.08 Hundreds of Construction Workers Hospitalized in St. Petersburg
MOSCOW, August 26 (RIA Novosti) About 350 workers employed in the construction of a new terminal of St. Petersburgs largest airport, Pulkovo, were hospitalized on Monday with suspected food poisoning, the regional emergencies service said.
350 people were taken to the Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital by ambulances and vehicles provided by the [airport construction] contractor, the service said.
The Interior Ministrys local branch said about 25 people were in serious condition.
It is yet unclear what caused the poisoning. A source in the citys prosecutors office told the Fontanka.ru local news site that the outbreak was presumably caused by tainted chicken meat.
The exact number of hospitalized workers is unknown as various sources give figures ranging from 200 to 500.
