At least 152 foreign construction workers in Moscow were hospitalized due to food poisoning on Tuesday, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The total poisoning number has reached 152 by Tuesday night, and the condition of six is critical, the emergency center was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

The workers started asking for medical aid on Tuesday morning. The first ambulance was called in the morning, and 53 Turkish builders were hospitalized by 11:00 a.m. (0700 GMT).

People have sought medical attention over high temperature, nausea and low blood pressure. "The first telephone call came from Tverskaya Street, where a new hotel is under construction instead of the Intourist Hotel," the emergency center said.

The builders were working at four different construction sites, but received catering from one and the same company.

The majority of poisoned workers come from Turkey. "There are also workers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries, who are temporarily staying in the Russian capital," the emergency center said.

A report of the Rospotrebnadzor consumer rights watchdog said the acute intestinal infection poisoning of builders in the Russian capital was caused by eating meals that were infected in the preparation process.

A final diagnosis and the infection source will be named after tests.

Source: Xinhua