90 primary school students are in hospital after eating muffins suspected to be laced with cannabis in South Africa.
The incident, which took place in Soshanguve township, north of Pretoria, came to the attention of the authorities after students displayed symptoms of nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting.
Gauteng Education Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Matome Chiloane expressed his concern and said that investigations were ongoing.
“This is concerning for us and we call for patience from parents while investigations are under way and learners are recovering,” he said.
“We implore learners to be vigilant of what they purchase and consume, and be cautious of who they purchase food from. We wish all affected learners speedy recovery.”
The students, aged between six and 14, are alleged to have bought the laced muffins from a street vendor on their way to school. Teachers witnessed strange behaviour from the students in class and immediately called emergency services for support.
Police were also called to further investigate and identify the suspected vendor.