Nearly 53,000 children in China are now sick from milk powder contaminated by an industrial chemical, the government has said.

China milk scandal: 53,000 children fall ill from contaminated milk powder
Article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"A total of 52,857 children had been brought to hospitals after falling ill, a Health Ministry spokesman said. Most had "basically recovered" but 12,892 of them remained hospitalised, he added.

The ministry said the toll of children ill from milk powder contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine had risen dramatically from the previous figure of 6,244.

A further 39,965 children had "received clinical treatment and advice" before being sent home.

More than 80 per cent of the sick were aged under two. So far, four deaths have been blamed on the toxic milk powder, which causes kidney stones and other complications. Another 104 children are in a serious condition.

Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Premier, visited hospitals in the capital of Beijing in an attempt to show the public that his government was taking action following the incident, which has once more shaken trust in Chinese products. Last year saw several scares over toxic and shoddy goods."