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Threats & News

August 2025

Asia Pacific

Africa

Mass school food poisoning

| Zoe Rutherford | Africa
At least 156 pupils from Gobisizwe Agricultural School in Mthatha have been rushed to hospitals and a local clinic — one by helicopter — after a suspected mass food poisoning incident that left one child vomiting blood and others seriously ill.
 
By 8pm on Wednesday August 13, 120 pupils had been evacuated from the school in Ncise, Mthatha. By 11am on Thursday, a further 36 children had been taken by ambulance to Mthatha Regional Hospital for treatment.  A child who was vomiting blood and urgently needed to be on a drip was taken to hospital by helicopter. According to the emergency report, seven ambulances, three patient transport vehicles, three rescue vehicles and a helicopter were used in the operation. Children were treated for abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea, while some complained of dizziness and some had seizures. Thirty children were diagnosed with complications. No deaths were reported. Authorities said they were still receiving calls as some children had only fallen ill after returning home. 
 
 
 

Two dead, over 100 hospitalized

| Zoe Rutherford | Africa

At least two people have died and some 105 others have been hospitalized with food poisoning in Cameroon's commercial hub of Douala, authorities said. The state-run Laquintinie Hospital, where the involved people were hospitalized, said in a statement that the victims included 99 children and six adults.

Most of the poisoned patients were fine after receiving treatment, but six others were still in critical condition, the hospital said. The victims who were at an event at the New Bell neighborhood of the city consumed a biscuit suspected to be contaminated.

Fatal feed mill explosion

| Zoe Rutherford | Africa
A worker was killed and two others were left with serious injuries after an explosion at a feed mill in South Africa. The incident happened at a facility operated by diversified feeds and poultry business Quantum Foods. 
 
In a statement, the company confirmed that one of its workers had been critically injured in the incident and had passed away during the night after being rushed to hospital. Two other employees were also hospitalised where they were said to be in serious but stable conditions.

Fire, law enforcement and emergency services responded quickly to safeguard the site and people. Fire services were able to bring the fire that resulted from the explosion under control and stabilised the environment, the statement added. The cause of the explosion is unknown, although no crime is suspected. 

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Middle-East

Mass food poisoning hospitalizes 500 soldiers

| Zoe Rutherford | Middle-East
Around 500 soldiers from the Syrian army’s 64th Division were hospitalized in rural Aleppo following a suspected mass food poisoning incident, Anadolu Agency reported.
 
Troops stationed at the division’s base in Darat Izza displayed symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, according to Anadolu. The affected soldiers were promptly transferred to Al-Kinana Hospital for treatment. 

Syrian Health Ministry officials confirmed they are coordinating with Aleppo’s health directorate regarding the situation. Authorities said all cases are currently under control, and no fatalities have been reported. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the outbreak.

Multiple deaths from alcohol poisoning

| Zoe Rutherford | Middle-East

Kuwait's Ministry of Health announced on August 13th, that 13 people have died from poisoning caused by locally produced alcohol. In a statement posted on social media platform X, the ministry said that since Saturday, it had handled 63 cases of alcohol poisoning resulting from drinks contaminated with methanol.

The ministry explained that the cases varied in severity of symptoms, with several requiring admission to intensive care units. Thirty-one cases required the use of ventilators, while 51 cases required urgent kidney dialysis sessions. Twenty-one cases suffered permanent blindness or impaired vision. The infections have so far resulted in 13 deaths, the statement said. 

A security source told Kuwait's Al-Rai newspaper that "a security team was formed to track the cases, and it was found that all victims had purchased locally produced alcoholic beverages from some Asian individuals in the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh area of Farwaniya Governorate." According to the report, 10 people were arrested during raids on the suspected locations.

Russia warns against attack

| Zoe Rutherford | Middle-East
The head of Russia’s nuclear energy corporation warned that an Israeli strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant could lead to a “Chernobyl-style disaster.”

An Israeli military spokesman said Israel had struck the site, but an Israeli military official later called the statement a “mistake” and said he could neither confirm nor deny that the Bushehr site on the Gulf coast had been hit. Bushehr is Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant, built by Russia, Reuters reported. 

“If there is a strike on the operational first power unit, it will be a catastrophe comparable to Chernobyl,” state news agency RIA quoted Alexei Likhachev as saying. Russia has evacuated some of its experts from Bushehr, but the core workforce – which Putin said numbered hundreds – remained on site.