The students at the private school in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region complained of headaches, abdominal pain and vomiting after lunch on Wednesday, Xinhua quoted a local health official as saying.

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Nineteen of the students, ages 6 to 14, were discharged from hospital the same day after treatment, while the others were still hospitalized by not in critical condition, the official was quoted as saying.

There has been an outbreak of mass food poisonings in China since August, all but one in schools.

At least 16 children, mostly between 2 and 5 years old, were hospitalized last week after eating at a kindergarten in Xinjiang, and earlier in October 56 children between 3 and 6 years old fell ill after eating at a nursery school in southern China's Jiangxi province.