At least 50 people were hospitalized after eating at a wedding banquet on Sunday in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the local health authority confirmed today.

The patients, mostly women and children, suffered diarrhea, nausea and vomiting shortly after the banquet at a restaurant in Guapo Town of Huaxian County, said a spokesman of the People's Hospital, the largest hospital in the county.

He said the patients were recuperating but the majority of them were still in hospital on Wednesday.

More than 200 friends and relatives of the newly-wed couple ate at the banquet but the rest of the diners showed no ill-effects, a relative of the bride said on condition of anonymity.

The county's health department said it is investigating the case and has taken samples of the food for laboratory tests. The results have yet to be released.

The health department has told all the diners to receive checkups in case of chronic poisoning and the restaurant has been closed.

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2006)