Cape Town - Lansdowne police are investigating an incident where six people collapsed at a bus stop in Wetton, Cape Town, on Monday.
According to authorities, the six people collapsed at various points along Wetton Road after eating the same food. One of them experienced convulsions.
Paramedics were called to the scene and found that five people were in a critical condition while the sixth patient was deemed to be in a serious condition.
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said only that the patients had ingested an "unknown substance".
Meiring could not specify exactly what the substance was that caused the patients to fall ill, saying only that authorities were investigating. "It understood that the men had ingested an unknown substance, causing them to collapse. Local authorities were on the scene for further investigations," he said.
After they were treated on the scene with several advanced life support interventions, the six were taken to a nearby hospital for further care.
"Lansdowne police are aware of an incident earlier today where five male persons and one female were admitted to hospital after consuming the same food. No criminal case has been opened at this stage," Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut told IOL.
"However Lansdowne police will be looking into the matter to determine the circumstances. An enquiry has been registered for this purpose," said Traut.