Horror at the Oak Room

Insider view on what happened at Queen Elizabeth’s birthday bash when guests started collapsing :

by Manjula Fernando

The highly jinxed Queen’s birthday party - at the Oak Rome of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel; where 12 guests collapsed and had to be hospitalised could have ended in tragedy, if the guests themselves had not taken speedy action. Guests accuse Hotel authorities of feigning ignorance and charge that no higher ups came to inquire about the situation, when they informed the management about the unfolding drama.

“The security guards even blocked entry to ambulances saying it will inconvenience other guests,” said one of the guests adding that some guests to the party, at that point had run up to the Galle Road and directed the ambulances in. “I saw two to three people being transported to hospital in each ambulance. Nearly fifty guests were affected by suspected food poisoning,” the guest who did not want to be identified alleged, claiming that the President of the Society and his son were among those seriously affected and had to be treated at the Intensive Care Unit for 24 hours. He is yet to fully recover from the experience, sources said.

It all started around 9.00 p.m. hen one of the young male guests in his 20s collapsed. Within minutes, several others too had collapsed, making one section of the Oak Room floor look like a scene from a horror movie.

The nearly 200 guests at the party commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday, organised by the Sri Lanka - United Kingdom Society, panicked seeing so many guests falling sick at the sit-down-dinner.

First victim

An ambulance that was called in by guests at the event, about to take a patient out of the hotel (Picture taken by one of the invitees at the event)

The guests barely had time to taste the starters - a choice of sea food or chicken, followed by mushroom soup, when the unfortunate incident occurred. It was the Society’s President, Dudley Thambinayagam’s son who was the first to be affected.

The sick were rushed to hospital in ambulances. “It was such a traumatic experience for us. Initially we did not receive any cooperation from the hotel to rush the guests to hospital,” an organising committee member said, adding however, representatives from the hotel were later seen helping out but their initial response delayed the patients being taken for treatment.

Earlier, ex-co members Minoli Almeida and Savithri Abeyasinghe complained to the waiters that the hall which was situated close to the hotel’s kitchen, where the function took place, was unusually warm, despite the central air-conditioning. They tried to speak to the Duty Manager but without success.

“We were feeling uneasy and reported this several times, to the waiters who were the only people accessible,” they said.

The reception began around 7.30 that evening. Shortly afterwards the guests were served cocktails. The unusual heat in the room was felt around 8.30 p.m. Some guests were feeling uncomfortable and complained about it soon after. The group of guests included doctors, engineers, and professionals.

One guest from the medical profession, who did not want to be identified, said she suspected a gas leak from the air- conditioning to have contaminated the food that was served.“

Food poisoning may not act so fast, only a food allergy, perhaps due to food being contaminated by leaked gas, could have resulted in such sudden effects.” She was also affected, said.

Impartial inquiry

The disgruntled organisers said an impartial inquiry needs to be carried out without trying to sweep it under the carpet. “We have been informed that the CMC food inspectors were conducting an inquiry and the police were also doing a separate investigation. Hopefully these inquiries will shed light into what really happened during the party,” she said. The British High Commission spokesperson Coomerene Rodrigo, confirmed the British High Commissioner James Dauris’s presence at the event, but said he was not affected by the unfortunate incident.

Police spokesman, Ruwan Gunasekera said the food inspectors from the Colombo Municipal Council collected samples of the food that were served, including the mushroom soup, which is suspected of triggering the allergic reaction, for testing .

The Kollupitiya Police took samples of the foreign liquor, wine and soft drinks that were served to the guests at the venue. These samples have already been referred to the Government Analyst’s Department. the OIC Kollupitiya police Station, Chief Inspector Hettiarachchi said, the sealed glasses with half consumed beverages were now with the Government Analyst and they were currently awaiting the report.