Death for China nursery poisoner

The head of a Chinese nursery school has been sentenced to death for poisoning 70 children and two teachers at a rival school, state media has reported.

Former doctor Huang Hu, 30, broke into the school in Guangdong province last month and laced salt in the kitchen with rat poison.

The children and staff members from Wuchuan city fell seriously ill, with severe vomiting and fits.

Police officials said Huang was jealous of the school's success.

"The perpetrator had previously managed a nearby rival nursery, which failed, and his actions were thus motivated by revenge," Xinhua news agency reported local sources as saying.

Rivals poisoned

The incident follows a mass poisoning in September by a restaurant owner who was said to be envious of his business competitors in the eastern city of Nanjing.

The business man was executed in October.

There have been several cases of poisoning in schools in recent years.

Last January, in Hunan province, 92 primary schoolchildren fell ill after their lunch was poisoned.

Bacteria and cases of restaurants using cheaper industrial salts instead of edible salt is to blame for some of China's poisoning deaths.