During the Co Ong Bon Festival in Lai Thieu, Binh Duong, several people fell ill with symptoms of food poisoning after eating free bread and dumplings provided by a charity group. The festival, which took place on April 3 in Lai Thieu ward, Thuan An city, saw attendees experiencing stomachaches, vomiting, dizziness, and fatigue after consuming the food. The Thuan An City Medical Center reported that 47 individuals were hospitalized as a result of the incident, with 5 people being discharged with mild symptoms and 42 individuals still being monitored after stabilizing. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the incident by testing food samples.
The quantity of bread and dumplings distributed by the charity group at the festival remains unknown. However, it is worth noting that Ong Bon Pagoda Festival is a Chinese cultural event in Binh Duong that commemorates the ancestors of pottery and is held annually on February 25 according to the lunar calendar. As part of Chinese religious customs, Ong Bon is rotated between temples and is invited to a different temple each year. The festival program includes sacrificial rituals, a procession of divine palanquins, Ho Quang singing, lion and dragon dances
