The number of kindergarten children hospitalized with suspected food poisoning after eating school meals in northwest China's Gansu Province has risen from 59 to 260, the local government said on Thursday.

The children, aging between four and six years old, at Shiyan Kindergarten in Wuwei City began to suffer vomiting, fever and stomachaches on Wednesday morning and dozens showed similar symptoms in the afternoon.

By 5 pm on Thursday, a total of 260 children had been sent to two hospitals in Wuwei, including 147 boys and 113 girls, said a statement issued by the municipal government.

Among them, 244 had recovered after treatment while the other 16 were suffering from a continuous fever, it said.

The Wuwei Municipal Health Bureau has organized a group of pediatric specialists to treat the sick children.

The management of the kindergarten refused to comment. One teacher said the children had porridge and buns for breakfast on Wednesday.

Local health workers said no food was seemingly left for lab tests, and they had sent the school's dishes to a lab of the city's disease prevention and control center, fearing the incident was caused by inadequate sterilization.

Meanwhile, the health bureau has begun to gather samples of vomit and excrement of the children for lab tests.

Police are also investigating the incident.

(Xinhua News Agency September 21, 2007)