HOHHOT - A total of 253 students and two teachers fell ill from suspected food poisoning on Thursday in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, authorities said Friday.

The victims are being treated in hospital and are improving, said a Baotou city government spokesman.

The victims from Hui People Middle School in Baotou complained of stomach ache and vomiting around 3:30 pm after having lunch in the school dining hall.

Around 3,000 students had lunch, and pupils who got their meals from the same counter became sick. The school has six different meal counters.

Kitchen workers from the counter are in police custody.

In the city's Donghe district, the school has more than 4,000 junior and senior middle school students, most of whom are ethnic Han.