JOHANNESBURG, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 40 students from Ekwazini Secondary School in South Africa's Mpumalanga province were hospitalized on Tuesday following a suspected food poisoning incident, local authorities said Wednesday.

The Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Education said that three students initially reported severe stomach cramps after consuming snacks.

As more learners presented similar symptoms, the number of those transported to a nearby hospital for assessment rose to 40, the department said, adding that all affected students are in a stable, non-critical condition and have since been discharged.

Health inspectors have been deployed to investigate the cause of the outbreak. Samples of the suspected snacks, other food items and local water sources have been sent for laboratory testing to determine the exact cause of the illness.

This incident followed a series of similar cases across South Africa. Media reports said that dozens of students have died or been hospitalized in recent years due to suspected food poisoning linked to snacks purchased from local informal shops, leading the government to previously declare such outbreaks as "a national security threat." ■