The poisoning of children at a Sochi hotel has resulted in a criminal case.

Investigators have opened a criminal case for unsafe services in connection with the poisoning of members of a children's sports team at a Sochi hotel. The hotel owner has cast doubt on the theory that the children were poisoned by food in the cafeteria. As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on January 7, it was reported that children aged 10-12 who had come to a rugby competition were poisoned at a hotel in the village of Loo in the Lazarevsky District of Sochi. The children did not require hospitalization.

A criminal case has been opened in connection with the poisoning of the children under Article 238 of the Russian Criminal Code (provision of services that do not meet safety requirements), the regional Investigative Committee reported on its Telegram channel.

"According to preliminary data, on the night of January 7 of this year, at a hotel located in the Lazarevsky District of Sochi, a group of underage athletes who had arrived for a sports training camp, as well as adults, developed symptoms of poisoning and were given medical assistance. According to available information, there is no threat to their lives or health," the publication states.

Investigators and specialists from Rospotrebnadzor have collected "necessary samples," which have been sent for laboratory testing. "The necessary investigative actions are being taken in the criminal case to establish all the circumstances of the incident," the statement noted.

The publication did not specify whether there were any specific suspects. The agency also did not specify how many children and adults were poisoned.

According to the Kub Mash Telegram channel, all the children in the cafeteria had different food—buckwheat, chicken soup, and other dishes. After lunch, many began vomiting, developed diarrhea, and developed high temperatures. Doctors gave the victims injections; hospitalization was not required.

The theory that the children contracted the infection at the hotel has not yet been confirmed, hotel owner Alexandra told a Telegram channel.

They constantly order delivery. They have pizzas, they have rolls, they have sushi.

In her opinion, the athletes who arrived from various cities "could already be contagious or have picked up something along the way," and some parents warned them upon check-in that their children were sick. Moreover, according to her, guests not only ate in the dining room, but also went to stores and ordered fast food to their rooms.

"They constantly order delivery. They have pizzas, they have rolls, they have sushi. They arrived with sick children, and they mentioned this at the counter, saying their children were sick," she is quoted as saying.