XI'AN - Nearly 100 children were sickened by food poisoning Monday noon at a kindergarten in Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

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The accident occurred at Zhaocun Beibeile Kindergarten at Weiyang District of the provincial capital Xi'an city, where the children suffered from nausea and diarrhea after lunch, said a spokesman from the Weiyang District Government.

The sickened children were rushed to five local hospitals for treatment, and their conditions were reported as not life threatening, the spokesman said.

An initial inspection showed that their sickness was caused by nitrite intoxication, and the exact cause is under investigation.