Red tide poisoning the government had warned of, the other day, had claimed its first victims in the town of Milagros, Masbate.
Two days ago, the government had warned of the presence of red tide along Milagros coastal waters.
According to the BFAR-Bicol statement, as many as 21 individuals, mostly children, had been recorded as suffering from food poisoning due to eating Capiz shell or Katipay or Tipay (Windowpane oyster) with the scientific name Placuna Placenta.
Nonie Enolva, Chief of the Marine Fisheries Resource Management Section of BFAR-Bicol, said the victims are recuperating in the hospital, now all are in good condition.
The Masbate BFAR Office immediately dispatched a team to recover the left-over shells eaten by the victims to obtain samples for laboratory examination.