A total of 217 students from a middle school in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have been
struck with food poisoning after eating at their school, local
police said Sunday.
The public security bureau of Fengzhen City said students at the
Experimental Middle School of Fengzhen City developed symptoms such
as dizziness, headaches, fever, vomiting and diarrhea Friday
morning. By early evening 82 students had been admitted to
hospital.
The city's Party and government authorities put into effect
public health emergency response measures and sent all 217 students
with food poisoning symptoms to hospital for observation.
By Sunday morning, 107 students have been discharged from
hospital. All the students who remain in hospital are in stable
conditions.
An investigation shows that food prepared for the students at
their school on Thursday was mixed with days-old food which health
workers says had already turned bad. Local police have detained
seven administrative workers at the canteen on Saturday night. The
city government has suspended school principal, Suo Jianmin, who
may face further disciplinary action.
Fengzhen, is more than a three-hour bus ride from Hohhot, the
regional capital.
(Xinhua News Agency October 1, 2006)