The number of people made ill after drinking contaminated water in south China has risen to 200 from Tuesday's 136, as medical tests found more people with arsenic poisoning.
Ninexxxx people were kept in hospital for observation while the others received outpatient treatment, a spokesperson of the Hechi city government, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said on Thursday.
Environmental monitoring measures indicated the villages' water source was polluted by industrial waste from a nearby metallurgy enterprise, which has been closed after the contamination.
The city authorities said Typhoon Hagupit triggered torrential rain on Sept. 25. Waste water containing arsenic overflowed from the firm and polluted nearby ponds and wells.
