2011-08-24 15:42

HOTAN, Xinjiang - Six people remain hospitalized four days after a mass food poisoning, thought to be caused by tainted vinegar, killed 11 and sickened more than 100 in Northwest China.

One person was still in a serious but not life threatening condition, said officials with the city of Hotan in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Officials including the vice chairman of the regional government Tiliwaldi Abdurixit had visited the sickened victims in hospital.

Police on Monday said the initial probe showed that about 120 people from the village of Sangzhu had consumed vinegar while eating Friday evening, and the vinegar was believed to be tainted.

The authorities said samples of the vinegar had been sent to labs in Beijing for toxicity tests to confirm the source of the poisoning.

The poisoning occurred during Ramadan, when Muslims eat in large groups at night after fasting during the day, and police say this is why so many were affected.

More than half of Xinjiang's population of 21 million are Muslims.

Police said they are still probing the cause, while the food safety watchdog has ordered a comprehensive food safety inspection in Hotan.

Mass food poisoning incidents are not rare in China. According to the Ministry of Health, at least 45 people died in food poisoning cases across the country in the first six months of 2011, and the majority of the deaths were caused by food tainted by toxic chemicals.

The ministry also reported that most deaths occurred at home. Eleven cases were reported in student canteens in the first half of the year, with 701 sickened but no deaths recorded.