More than 70 tourists have needed emergency medical aid after being hospitalised with symptoms of food poisoning, local food safety authority reported.

The tourists, staying at a resort in Phan Thiet District, in the southern coastal province of Binh Thuan, on Tuesday complained of severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever.

They were immediately rushed to local health care centres for some initial emergency assistance.

Fifty of them were then moved to a private clinic while 20 others were hospitalised at the An Phuoc General Hospital.

Doctors at the clinic and hospital suspected the tourists were suffering from food poisoning and prescribed antibiotics, an infusion and injection for relief from the pain.

The number of victims are part of a vast group of 800 tourists, all of whom are employees of the Sài Gòn Good Joint Stock Company from HCM City.

They were under a contract with the Rồng Việt Travel Company for staying in different hotels and resorts near Ham Tien-Mui Ne Beach in Phan Thiet since last Sunday.

On Monday, they gathered to attend a gala dinner at the Sealink City Phan Thiet and suffered food poisoning at night and early morning the next day, the Voice of Vietnam online paper reported.

Right after hearing about the case, the Binh Thuan Province’s Food Safety Department sent a team to the local clinic and hospital where the patients are being treated.

The department said the team was responsible for consulting, supervising and investigating the case.

The cause would be confirmed soon and reported to the department.

VNS