Chinese water 'poisoned with arsenic'

Around 200 villagers have fallen sick in the Chinese province of Guangxi as the presence of arsenic in their drinking water has been discovered, according to reports.

Concerns began when the residents of two villages in the south province began to show symptoms of illness, including swollen faces and eyes and blurred eyesight.

Now 19 people are reported to be in hospital as the number of the affected has gone from 136 to 200.

The problem is thought to be down to industrial waste contaminating village water supplies after a recent typhoon.

Toxic industries contribute greatly to the country's economy, but cases of river and land contamination have also risen, reports state.

In September, Beijing received an extra 300 million cubic metres of water from nearby province Hebei as the government attempted to stem a drought in the area.