A food poisoning has left a five-year-old girl dead and 72 others hospitalized in a village in southwest China's Guizhou Province, a local official said Saturday.

Villagers in the Wangzhuang Village in Anshun City began to show symptoms of food poisoning after attending a dinner party hosted by fellow villager Qi Qinggang Friday evening. They were soon sent to five different hospitals, said Ma Ning, vice secretary-general of the Anshun municipal government.

A young girl died after treatment failed. Currently, 12 villagers are still in critical condition, Ma said.

An initial investigation showed the poisoning might be caused by nitrite, which can lead to deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching human's body tissues.

Local authorities are further investigating the case.