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Criminal cases, many victims: what is known about botulism outbreak in Russian regions

Over 50 people have been hospitalized in Moscow, they are in a serious condition, and some 20 people were hospitalized in the Moscow Region

© Petr Kovalev/TASS

MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/. Three people have been detained in connection with the mass poisoning of people in Moscow, the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee told TASS. They are the top executives of the Lokalkitchen company and the head of the company that produces beans used in the Georgian Kidney Bean Salad (Lobio) that caused the poisoning.

Meanwhile, the number of cases of suspected botulism in Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod has risen to 14 in each region. Over 50 people have been hospitalized in Moscow, they are in a serious condition, and some 20 people were hospitalized in the Moscow Region. According to investigative authorities, the cause of the poisoning in all regions was a Lokalkitchen-made salad.

TASS has gathered the main information about the botulism outbreak in Russia.

Situation in regions

- In Moscow, over 120 people with botulism symptoms sought medical help. More than 50 of them are in hospitals in serious condition.

- In the Moscow region, 20 people have been hospitalized with a preliminary diagnosis of botulism, 12 of them are in serious condition, and the rest are in stable condition.

- In Kazan, the number of suspected cases of botulism stands at 14. In Tatarstan, a total of 116 people bought the potentially contaminated salad.

- The number of Nizhny Novgorod residents with botulism symptoms also rose to 14, including one child. Twelve people are in intensive care.

Cause of poisoning

- Those affected in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan bought the Georgian Kidney Bean Salad from the Lokalkitchen LLC. The salad has been taken off shelves pending a health and epidemiological investigation.

- All the mass poisonings in the three regions were caused by the consumption of a bean salad from one producer: the Lokalkitchen LLC, Russian Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said.

- According to the Moscow branch of the Investigative Committee, employees of the warehouses where the products were stored tried to get rid of them during investigative actions.

Investigation

- On June 16, the Moscow branch of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under the article of the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements.

- The Investigative Committee also opened a case on illegal migration. The Lokalkitchen LLC illegally employed some unregistered Uzbek citizens.

- Law enforcement detained three people, executives from the Lokalkitchen company and the head of the company that produces the beans.

- The company’s office has been searched, its Moscow office has been closed. When the company will continue operating is unknown.

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