Some nineteen school boys fell ill on Tuesday after eating contaminated food at a restaurant near their school in East Amman, according to director of education in Marka Abdul Karim Yamani.

He told Petra in an interview that civil defence crews were called in to the Al Marqab School after the students showed symptoms of nausea and abdominal pain during the morning lineup and first class.

The medics administered first aid to the boys before transporting them to Al Bashir Government Hospital for further treatment, said Yamani, adding that six of them were later discharged as their condition stabilized and that the rest would leave the hospital in the next few hours.

Authorities opened an investigation into the incident.