At least 25 schoolchildren died while more than 100 others were hospitalized due to food poisoning on Wednesday in a central Philippine province, a local official said. Romeo Teruel, chief of staff of the governor's office in Bohol province, said the victims were elementary students of a public school in Mabini town, 645 kilometers south of Manila. "This is very tragic," he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in a telephone interview. "An investigation is underway. The victims had eaten cassava cake bought from the school canteen." Teruel said the victims ate the snack during their morning break. "After 30 minutes, the victims - mostly children below 10 years old - complained of dizziness and began vomiting," he said. "In one family, three children died in the incident." Teruel said health officials and policemen have started an investigation into the incident.
