BEIJING, China —African governments have stopped importing Chinese dairy products as the crisis which has seen more than 52,000 Chinese children poisoned by melamine-tainted goods spreads.
Burundi, Gabon and Tanzania have joined governments closer to China — including Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia — in banning Chinese dairy products. At least 11 countries have banned imports.
The precautions come as the number of affected children in China continues to swell. Four babies have died from melamine-tainted infant formula and more than 52,000 children have fallen ill, Chinese authorities say.
"I think we will see more cases, but it is, of course, impossible to predict how many cases there finally will be," said Hans Troedsson, the the World Health Organization's China representative. "We have to remember that China is a large country with a population of 1.3 billion people. However, of course, 40- to 50,000 children are affected as reported now. It's a staggering figure, but where we will end up is too early yet to say."
On Monday, China's top quality control official, Li Changjiang, resigned as a result of the scandal, which has seen the arrest of at least 18 people.
Source: CNN