Four abandoned children 'who survived on corn' found poisoned in China
Youngsters discovered at their home, thought to have been killed by swallowing pesticide
Four abandoned children from one family in southwest China have died from suspected pesticide poisoning.
The three girls and one boy, aged between five and 13, were found dead at their home in a township near Bijie in Guizhou province, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
Villagers said they were the children of migrant workers, who had left the area, and no adults were looking after them.
Police are investigating after the children’s bodies were found on Tuesday night.
Their paternal grandparents are dead and their maternal grandparents are too old and infirm to take care of them.
Another villager, Zhang Shigui, who is a relative of the children, was quoted as saying that they had all dropped out of school because they could not afford the fees.
They had survived by eating corn harvested last year, the report said.
