Over one hundred young people were admitted to hospital for food poisoning treatment after participating in a team-building retreat at Dumbrava complex in Peresecina, Orhei district. A total of 1,900 young people attended the retreat and the organizers had apparently failed to notify the Orhei sanitary authorities.

According to preliminary information, the participants were served two meals a day, provided by the Chisinau-based catering firm “Megama Rapid”. The sanitary authorities suspect contaminated food to be the likely cause of the poisoning.

The Democratic Party (PDM), which organized the retreat for its youth wing members, said in a press release the organizers believe that the source of the incident was the food provided by the hired catering firm.

“The firm employed to deliver the food is a catering company authorized in Chisinau, whose certificates and experience in servicing such events have been verified. However, the PDM is asking the authorities to earnestly investigate the case and hold those involved accountable. This is a totally regrettable incident, which we hope will be successfully overcome, especially since the final of the Democracy Trophy (the event where the party's young members got poisoned – IPN) is closing a series of similar events organized by the PDM at district level across the country and held in the best conditions”, reads the PDM's press release.