25 workers taken to hospital after eating sandwiches laced with rat poison at German factory
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Twenty-five workers from a German factory reportedly been sent to hospital after eating sandwiches laced with rat poison.
According to German newspaper Bild, staff at Mueller-Technik, a car parts company in the north-western town of Steinfeld, had eaten the sandwiches after two batches were left with a thank you note at the front and side entrances of their building on Tuesday morning, inkeeping with a German tradition of bread-giving.
Workers described the bread as tasting old and dry before discovering pink seeds underneath the fillings of meat and cheese.
Emergency services were immediately called and 25 of the 250-strong workforce were sent to hospital for observation in intensive care units, though none are yet to show any symptoms of poisoning.
Samples of the contaminated bread were sent to a laboratory in Berlin where it was confirmed to contain small amounts of rat poison, but not enough to kill.
One employee told Bild: "I was really happy about the sandwiches, but I only took one bite. Somehow the bread tasted dry and old. When someone saw the pink seeds, one person made the joke that it must be rat poison."
Police are saying that whoever left the sandwiches must have been familiar with the company and its almost daily custom of bringing food to work for other coworkers, but that the small amount of rat poison indicated that the perpetrator was likely to be someone with a grudge rather than with an intent to kill.
Helmut Kohanke, managing director of Mueller-Technik, told a press conference that there had been no problems with staff and that no one had recently been made redundant.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments