Angry residents have stormed the smelting plant that is responsible for the sickness of hundreds of children. Reuters reports:
Monday’s protests began after news spread around villagers that the poisoning had sparked a suicide attempt by one 19-year-old student, Xinhua reported.
The student drank pesticide after her parents refused to pay for her to take a blood test, Xinhua said.
The government is only offering free tests to children under 14, and there has been no investigation into whether adults might be affected by lead from the smelter, the report added.
Around 100 policemen had been mobilised by midday, and the mayor of nearby Baoji city, who heads a newly formed pollution control team, arrived to ask protesters for restraint.
By early afternoon, most protesters had returned home, Xinhua said.
Read the Xinhua report.
