Kids Fall Ill After Consuming Ricin-Contaminated Castor Beans in China

More than a 100 middle and primary school students in the county of Jingyang, northwest China's Shaanxi Province were apparently poisoned by ricin early on Thursday. The state media reported that the children were poisoned by ricin, which was found in the castor beans that they ate.

The magistrate of the county, Li Xiaojing said that all the poisoned students were taking part in a bean planting activity, which was organized by the provincial youth working commission in collaboration with a local company. An official with Xi'an Xijing hospital confirmed that all the students were being treated at the hospital. The report added that all the other school children whop took part in the activity had been monitored, but no additional cases had come to light. The ricin poison contained in castor beans is a deadly toxin. Oil from the castor beans is used as a laxative and also in soaps.