The family of a 5-year-old girl grieve over her body at a morgue in Pingshan county, Hebei province, on Wednesday. The girl died from yogurt poisoning after a week of medical treatment. Provided to China Daily

Suspects thought to have tainted yogurt to 'damage' kindergarten

Two preschoolers allegedly died from poisoning due to competition for students between two rival kindergartens in Pingshan county, Hebei province, with experts saying the case highlights the lack of supervision in primary education.

According to a statement issued by the Pingshan county government on Thursday, Ren Shuting and her two granddaughters found a bag containing a bottle of yogurt and notebooks on the way to the kindergarten on the morning of April 24 in Lianghe village, Pingshan county. The woman picked up the bag and took it home. When her granddaughters, aged 5 and 6, returned in the afternoon, they drank the yogurt, while she was cooking. The two girls were found on the ground, foaming from the mouth and twitching. The older one died in an ambulance hours later, while the younger girl died on Wednesday after being in hospital for a week.

Ren, the grandmother, also took a sip of the yogurt because the girls said it tasted bitter, and she was in hospital for several days, the statement said.

The girls' family declined to make any statements on Thursday.

Yu Pengcheng, an official from Pingshan county's public security bureau, said the yogurt contained tetramine, a strong poison for rats. After a preliminary investigation, police found the poisoned yogurt was left on the street by people linked to another kindergarten in the county.

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