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Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, head of the St. Ann Police and Suzette Barnes Wilson, Principal of Ocho Rios Primary School
The St. Ann police are seeking the public's assistance in locating a vendor who sold sweets to students at Ocho Rios Primary School which made them fall ill.
More than 60 students, ranging from seven to 12 years old, were rushed to hospital Monday afternoon after they started feeling dizzy, fainting and vomiting after consuming the rainbow-coloured sweets that appear to be laced with cannabis.
This led to chaotic scenes at the institution after school administrators realised that something was wrong.
Parents were called in and the school provided a bus to transport students to St. Ann's Bay Hospital. Some parents also privately transported their own children to seek medical attention.
The vendor reportedly left the school gate after selling the children the "candy".
Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, head of the St. Ann police, has urged the male vendor to report to the police. He also urged anyone with information on the man's identity to contact investigators.
SSP Powell said a team of detectives have been assigned and the police are treating the matter "with the strictest urgency".
Health Minister Christopher Tufton told Radio Jamaica News that he and the Education Minister Faval Williams left Cabinet early to attend to the crisis.
The ministers headed to St. Ann to give leadership to the incident at Ocho Rios Primary School.
By Monday evening, most of the children who were taken to hospital had been released, with about 10 students remaining for observation.
Principal of Ocho Rios Primary Suzette Barnes Wilson said immediate measures are to be implemented to prevent a recurrence of Monday's incident.
Mrs. Barnes Wilson said though this is an isolated incident, it is being treated with urgency.
She said the vendor was not a regular at the school.
The principal said a meeting will be held with the school's safety and security team.