School Meal Tainted By Pesticides Kills Peru Kids

Health official says food was likely contaminated with rat poison

LIMA, Peru — Food donated for a nutrition program became contaminated with pesticides in an Andean hamlet, poisoning 89 children and five adults, Peru's health ministry said. Three of the children died.

The ministry said the National Food Assistance Program distributed the food at a school in Redondo. The hamlet is 310 miles northwest of Lima.

Officials said the meal of rice and fish was accidentally contaminated while it was being prepared Tuesday.

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