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A SKIPJACK tuna commonly known as tulingan downed on Friday night at least 32 workers of Kajima Corp. General Contractor.
The 32 workers were rushed to hospitals after they experienced difficulty in breathing, itchiness, headaches and dizziness after eating the tulingan.
Radio reports on Friday night put the number of workers affected as 80 but Kajima officials said only 32 workers were rushed to the hospital.
Construction worker Wilfredo Bartina said he only ate a small slice of tulingan when he suddenly felt dizzy.
Another worker, Mario Layagin, said he was almost over eating his meal when he felt his face became warm.
“Murag nanghalang akong mata, nagpuwa. Unya mura kog gihubak, hangat akong pamati (I felt my eyes become sore and red. Then I felt like I had asthma and had difficulty breathing),” said Layagin.
The same symptoms were felt by Hermohedes Carreon. He suspected that the tulingan fish cooked in garlic and vinegar, escabeche and fried was the reason of their pain.
Auto electrician Rodolfo Lastimado said their fellow workers, who were the first ones in line when their dinner was given to them, were affected one by one. "Pagkabantay nako adto nga nangalanag sila, wa na ko mukaon (When I saw my co-workers show symptoms of food poisonings. I did not eat the food),” said Lastimado.
He said they tried to save the victims by feeding them sugar, but the Japanese personnel decided to rush the victims to the hospitals in the city.
“Daghan na man kayo ang nangalanag, gida na lang sa ospital (Many were affected and so they were rushed to the hospital),” said Lastimado.
He said that their dinner was a free supply of the company for workers who would work until 9 p.m.
Their dinner was served from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lastimado said Chanix Catering Services handled the catering in the canteen of Kajima which is located in the South Road Properties (SRP).
Ramon Navarro, a mechanic, said that after the incident, the meal with the tulingan viand was thrown to the trash can.
The victims are construction workers of Kajima Corp., a Japanese-owned company.
The Tokyo-based firm is the contractor of the subway component of the South Coastal Road which is being constructed near Plaza Independencia in downtown Cebu City.
Some 300 people are working for the project, which started two years ago.
Kajima was also one of the contractors in the construction of the second Mandaue-Mactan bridge in 1996. Correspondent Carine M. Asutilla
