Discovery of 21 foetuses sets off health scare in Chinese city

At least 21 foetuses and bodies of infants were found dumped in a river in an east Chinese city, setting off a health scare.

Following the discovery, medical staff of a prominent hospital in Jining city were suspended, the official Xinhua news agency reported today.

Eight of the 21 bodies had tabs with clinic code numbers attached to their feet, which shows that the bodies were from the Jining Medical University Hospital, it said.

The Beijing News reported that the bodies may have been dumped by cleaners from local hospitals after abortions and induced labour.

Such bodies are usually treated as "medical waste" by hospitals.

Local health authorities and police have launched an investigation into the dumping.

"The hospital medical staff involved have been suspended from their work as the investigation into the incident is on," said Zhong Haitao, a spokesman at the Jining Health Bureau.

Zhong said the 21 bodies were salvaged by local residents and firemen yesterday after they were discovered under a bridge spanning the Guangfu River in the outskirts of Jining.

The municipal environmental department said most recent tests on the river's water quality showed it was not contaminated with major water indicators.

The river is not one of the city's drinking water sources, it said.