The 23 villagers who were hospitalized after eating food laced with rat poison at a funeral in central China's Hubei Province have been declared out of danger by doctors.

An investigation is still underway into the poisoning which killed 10 people, including one child and four women, at Huaping Village of Lichuan City.

Three patients, who were in a critical condition, were recovering and the other 20 would be discharged from hospital in three to five days, said Wang Jianxing, deputy director of Lichuan People's Hospital. Altogether 33 people fell sick after they ate at the home of villager Zhu Fabin at noon on Tuesday. They had all attended the same funeral.Cheng Zehao, a victim, said in hospital that he felt giddy soon after eating some rice.

Local doctors confirmed the villagers ate some kind of rat poison.

Ren Shimao, vice-governor of Hubei, visited the villagers Wednesday and a team of medical experts sent by the provincial government also arrived.

(People's Daily   October 23, 2003)