14 tourists from Estonia hospitalized with food poisoning in Egypt

TALLINN - 47 tourists, including 14 people from Estonia, have been hospitalized with food poisoning in the Egyptian resort city of Hurghada, RIA Novosti news agency reports, according to Postimees.

The sickened tourists were hospitalized on Sunday after having dinner at the hotel AMC Royal over the weekend. The hotel has now been closed and several its employees, including its top chef, have been apprehended. The Egyptian prosecutor's office has launched criminal proceedings to investigate the incident.

Only 47 tourists suffered from food poisoning, however, despite the hotel restaurant having serviced a much larger number of patrons. The hospitalized tourists include 14 Estonians, 29 Russians and four people from the Czech Republic.

Samples for analyses have been taken from the food and drinks served by the hotel to determine the cause of food poisoning. The director of the hotel has been suspended from their position during the investigation for three months for the time being.