In an eleventh-hour incident, 65 election officials, the majority of them women, were admitted to the National Hospital after consuming contaminated food, National Election Commission (NEC) Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya told the Sunday Observer on Friday.
This had occurred at the Royal College, Colombo counting centre, where the 65 having consumed food parcels containing eggs were taken ill. “ Of the 700 packets supplied 350 were fish and the balance eggs. The officers who had the fish packets escaped sans any sickness. Of the 350 who had consumed the egg packets, 65 had become indisposed. Maximum may be 75. Some might have gone to private hospitals. On Friday before 7pm, some were discharged,” he said.
“It was not sabotage. I personally visited the patients.”
It was reported that all the affected were back on their feet for duty, yesterday. “All of them are support staff and from the organising committee. Two or three were from the election office, coordinating and the welfare centers.”