Forty-one people were taken to hospital on Tuesday after a suspected food poisoning incident at One Raffles Quay in Singapore.
The incident occurred at the office of TikTok owner ByteDance, according to two employees of the company.
In response to queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it received multiple calls for medical help at One Raffles Quay at 3.15pm on Tuesday.
SCDF initially said 15 ambulances were deployed to the scene, and 30 people who experienced symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting had been conveyed to hospitals.
It later revised the number of ambulances deployed to 17 and updated the number of people taken to hospital to 41.
“The SCDF understands from the 41 persons that they had earlier consumed food from the same source,” it said.
In its initial statement at 7.32pm, SCDF described the incident as “still ongoing”. In its update at 8.15pm, it said that all its personnel and emergency vehicles had returned to their respective fire stations and fire posts.
In a company announcement to employees seen by reporters, ByteDance said it was aware that its employees at its One Raffles Quay office had become ill after “their recent visit to the L26 canteen”.
A buffet section at the canteen is “closed until investigations are complete” the company said.
“We are taking this incident very seriously and are working closely with local authorities and caterers to identify the cause as soon as possible,” it added.
CNA understands that ByteDance engages licensed external vendors to cater food for its offices, and that food is not prepared or cooked at its office premises in Singapore.
The announcement said there is “ongoing medical support help” being offered to those affected by the incident, with a temporary first aid centre set up at the lift lobby on the 20th floor of the building’s South Tower.
In response to queries, a ByteDance spokesperson said: “We take the health and safety of our employees very seriously and have taken immediate steps to support all affected employees, including working with emergency services to provide care.
“We are investigating the matter and are working with the relevant authorities on this.”
CNA has reached out to the Ministry of Health and the Singapore Food Agency for comment.