More than 40 students of an elementary school in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai have been hospitalized after drinking milk tea during a party marking the end of their school year.

The students, who are from class 3B at Tran Phu Elementary School in the provincial capital of Quang Ngai, were admitted to the local pediatrics hospital at around 10:00 am on Monday.

The kids had drunk milk tea in their classroom before having stomachache and feeling nauseous, said Vu Thi Binh, vice-principal of the school.

They were having a party in the classroom to celebrate the end of the school year, Binh continued, adding that the drinks were bought from a shop named ‘Uyen Chip Chip’ on Ngo Quyen Street.

The milk tea was bought from a local shop named ‘Uyen Chip Chip.’ Photo: Tuoi Tre

Following prompt treatment at the infirmary, the conditions of the students have stabilized.

Doctors stated that their symptoms included stomach pain, nausea, and fever, indicating food poisoning.

After being notified of the situation, local authorities have collected the drink samples and carried out an inspection of the store.

According to Nguyen Van Oai, head of the Quang Ngai Department of Food Hygiene and Safety, the shop has been suspended from operation.

Local authorities work with leaders of the school. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The owner did present legitimate paperwork for the business, but officers discovered several violations of regulations on food safety at the venue, Oai elaborated.

A further decision will be made after test results are in, which takes approximately five days, the official continued.

In late October 2017, nearly 500 students from two elementary schools in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang were admitted to the hospital for food poisoning after drinking chocolate milk, which was provided free-of-charge as part of a campaign to encourage sport and physical exercise.

Examinations later showed that their drinks contained Staphylococcus Aureus, also known as golden staph, a type of bacteria that can cause serious food poisoning.

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