Police have ruled out food poisoning as the cause of death of six young pupils at boarding school in north China's Shanxi Province, a local official said Wednesday.

Two boys and four girls aged six to ten died Monday evening at a primary school of Nanyao Village, Puxian County, Linfen City.

Because they became violently ill it was first thought they had died of food poisoning.

After analysis of their vomit, food poisoning has been ruled out as a cause of death, Yang Zhiping, Party chief of Puxian, told Xinhua.

Police are carrying further tests and Yang refused to provide any other details or clues on how the children may have died.

Five other students in the 11-pupil school were transferred to a nearby school on Tuesday.

Students Die in Dorm, Cause Unknown

(Xinhua News Agency December 7, 2006)