Six children hospitalised after drinking cooldrink from Ottery spaza shop

Six children were hospitalised after drinking a cooldrink purchased from a spaza shop in Ottery, according to reports from local media. The incident reportedly took place on Saturday evening when the children, aged between six and 15, consumed a two-litre flavoured cooldrink. They subsequently collapsed, vomited heavily, and struggled to breathe, prompting emergency medical attention. The affected children were taken to three different hospitals in Cape Town. The children included four from the family of Sakeena Adam and her husband, along with two friends. According to Adam, the family sent their children to a nearby spaza shop to purchase two bottles of cooldrink before dinner. Upon returning home, the children brought back a Coca-Cola for the adults and a separate flavoured drink for themselves. All members of the family shared a meal from the same pot, with only the six children consuming the cooldrink. Shortly after dinner, as the family prepared for bed and the children watched a movie, they began experiencing symptoms such as headaches. Within moments, the condition worsened. Adam's eldest son noticed that one of the younger children was unwell and called for his father. At the same time, Adam’s 15-year-old daughter entered the bathroom. The family initially failed to notice that she had also collapsed. Adam described the chaotic scene, stating that her husband was struggling with their son, who was vomiting and turning blue. Meanwhile, Adam found her daughter unconscious in the bathroom, with white foam coming from her mouth. She performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on her daughter, who suffers from severe asthma. As she worked, her husband was shouting for help due to the rapid collapse of the other children. Adam recounted that the children would regain consciousness briefly before collapsing again, each episode accompanied by excessive vomiting. With only the two parents present, the family relied on neighbours who arrived after hearing the commotion. These neighbours assisted in moving the children outside. A visit by The Weekend Argus to the spaza shop revealed that the cooldrink was purchased from a store run by a man named Jimmy. He expressed confusion over the incident, denying any intent to harm anyone. Jimmy stated that the shop procures its supplies from a cash-and-carry in Khayelitsha and claimed to have no knowledge of how the contamination might have occurred. Philippi police have launched an investigation into the incident. A police spokesperson, Ndakhe Gwala, confirmed that the cooldrink has been sent to a forensic laboratory for analysis. The inquiry is still ongoing, and authorities are waiting for further information from the hospitals treating the children and the cooldrink manufacturer. The case highlights the potential dangers of contaminated beverages, particularly in areas where access to regulated food and drinks may be limited. While the exact cause of the illness remains under investigation, the incident underscores the importance of ensuring the safety of products sold in informal retail settings.