Farmers sickened after drinking water from abandoned mine

Eight farmers have been diagnosed with arsenic poisoning and 68 others showed symptoms in southwest China's Guizhou province after drinking water from an abandoned mine during a summer drought.

None of the sickened people are in critical conditions, doctors said.

Local officials said they noticed late last week that many farmers in the Wangjiazhai village showed signs of swollen eyelids, headache and weakness and suspected that their drink water might have been polluted.

The Sandu county county sent health, disease control and environmental experts to the village to investigate. Water and urine samples were also sent to the provincial disease control center in Guiyang for examination.

Arsenic poisoning was confirmed on Tuesday.

It was found out that during the summer drought, the village pumped water from an abandoned mine to its water tower twice to ease water shortage.

The provincial government has set up an emergency center to deal with the matter. Doctors are going door to door to conduct health examination for farmers who had drunk the water. Free treatment is offered to all patients.

A fire engine is now supplying drink water to the farmers. Pipes are being laid to supply water to the village from a nearby water plant, the work is to be done Friday night.