AUTHORITIES are investigating an outbreak of food poisoning that has left "a number of people dead" and at least 200 in hospital in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province. 

　　Central and local governments have called for all efforts to save the victims of the outbreak, State media reported.

　　The outbreak is believed to have emanated from a restaurant serving fried dough sticks, sesame cakes and glutinous rice, traditional breakfast items.

　　Most of those affected were middle school students and migrant workers who frequented the restaurant, media reports said.

　　All fell ill on Saturday morning or soon after.

　　Central authorities in Beijing have ordered "all efforts be made to save the victims."

　　Jiangsu's leading officials have asked medical workers to make all-out efforts to rescue every poisoned person, and ordered relevant departments to answer to the needs of family members of the victims. They also ordered local police to investigate the case.

　　The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Security have both dispatched teams to the city to help recovery work and investigate the outbreak.

　　The victims were sent to 10 hospitals in Nanjing, where over 500 high-quality medical specialists were treating them. Most patients were reported to be now in stable condition.

　　(SD-Xinhua)