A total of 222 students were hospitalized on Wednesday in north China's port city of Tianjin after showing signs of food poisoning, but there were no deaths and most were discharged from hospital on Thursday, doctors said.

Doctors at Dagang Hospital said almost all of the students vomited and had a fever and diarrhea on Wednesday afternoon, and they believed the poisoning was caused by spoiled sliced chicken and sausage they had for lunch.

About 3,030 students, all from four local polytechnic schools, were receiving 10-day training at a military training center in Dagang District in the municipality when the mass food poisoning case occurred.

Some of the students still hospitalized were receiving transfusions.

Cui Genghua, one of the students in the hospital, told Xinhua he and other students felt extremely uncomfortable after having lunch Wednesday afternoon, and were later rushed to the hospital.

Other students at the training center had left for their home or schools after the incident.

Local officials said the cause of the incident is still under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2003)