فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
The death toll due to food poisoning in a snack bar in the famous Mhamid district of Marrakesh has reached six people.
Concern is spreading day after day among the families and loved ones of 26 people, including two security personnel, who fell victim to food poisoning after eating sandwiches at a snack restaurant in the popular Mhamid neighborhood in the Red City.
Deaths have been occurring one after another since the end of last week, which has at the same time damaged the image of this major tourist destination.
This comes after the sixth victim, a young girl, died yesterday, Tuesday, after being admitted to the hospital.
It all started at the end of last April when three people died of food poisoning in a snack bar. As a result of this tragedy, the security services of the 20th Security District in Marrakesh arrested the restaurant owner and his employees.
These departments, accompanied by a committee from the National Office for Sanitary Safety of Food Products, were also able to seize a large quantity of spoiled meat intended for preparing sandwiches and expired food products.
After appearing before the Public Prosecutor and being placed in pretrial detention, the accused snack bar owner will appear before the court on Wednesday, May 8, on charges of “participating in manslaughter” and “hiding evidence at the crime scene.”
Residents of the Mahamid neighborhood say that this is not the first time that the snack restaurant in question has found itself involved in cases of food poisoning, pointing to the meteoric wealth of its owner, Hassan E.
According to an informed source, the man “moved overnight from a snack bar to a large snack restaurant serving all kinds of meals and sandwiches. They range from traditional dishes to meat and chicken sandwiches.”
In an open letter published on Monday evening, April 29, following the deaths of the first three victims, the Marrakech-Menara branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights called on all institutions concerned with the health and security of citizens to assume their responsibility in monitoring the quality and safety of food products offered in the markets.
The communication denounced the “indifference” of the authorities who “turn a blind eye and allow these restaurants to operate without licenses” and “without respecting hygiene standards,” and criticized the “seasonality of campaigns to monitor the quality of products.”
While it was surprised by the presence of fast food restaurants “that sell, for example, red meat and minced meat at prices 40 to 50% lower than those offered in the market,” the Moroccan Association for Human Rights concluded that this situation “raises several question marks about their quality.”
Subsequently, and in parallel with the opening of an investigation, the city authorities intensified surveillance and inspections of Mhamid snack bars and many other food establishments. After seizing many products that did not comply with health standards, many establishments were closed for not adhering to the regulations.
From: Fez News website
