Food Poisoning Kills 5 at Mexican Drug Rehab

Five patients are reported dead and thirty-seven more hospitalized and in critical condition, falling ill after eating a tainted Christmas dinner at a treatment center in downtown Guadalajara. Shortly after the meal (soy sausage, vegetables and rice), several patients reportedly began feeling symptoms of food poisoning. The first victims arrived at the hospital just before 10 pm, and over a dozen others called for emergency services. Initial reports indicated that traces of cyanide were discovered in the food, but officials haven't confirmed that. "Yesterday, the members ate first, followed by the workers," Carlos Diaz, one of the victims, told El Universal. "Around half an hour had passed before we noticed and no one ate anymore, but the effects were very fast in some of us." Much of the food served at the clinic is donated, which is customary at Mexican rehabs. Workers and cooks are being interviewed by police.