Prime Minister visits village after 200 people poisoned at wedding

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili paid a late night visit to a south-eastern Georgian village where about 200 people suffered food poisoning at a wedding last night.

Kvirikashvili asked about the health of hundreds of ill guests, including 28 children who had been taken to hospital after the wedding in Sadakhlo, Marneuli district.

The high official was told that after the meal around 200 people felt nauseous and became ill and were taken to nearby hospitals, while those with severe food poisoning were taken to Tbilisi for more specialist treatment.

"Apparently food poisoning is quite serious [but] I would like to reassure everyone that there is nothing to worry about,” Kvirikashvili said.

Doctors said although some people were quite ill, no one’s lives were at risk, no one would suffer any long-term effects and the illness would pass in a few days’ time.

The wedding took place last night in Sadakhlo village, which lies near Georgia’s south-eastern border with Armenia. It is the most populous village of Georgia and is mainly inhabited by Azerbaijanis.

Today Prime Minister Kvirikashvili said an investigation into the case had been launched, and samples of the food and drinks served at the wedding had been taken to be examined.

"It will be very interesting to establish the cause of this incident,” Kvirikashvili said.

Georgia’s National Food Agency is actively engaged in the investigation. Last night after the wedding agency officers sealed the refrigerators shut and took 13 samples of food for testing.