Village buries its children
(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-11 01:54

Cassava or manioc is a tropical food crop widely grown around the Asian region.

In many impoverished Philippine towns, like Mabini, it is a substitute for rice, the staple food.

It is traditionally boiled, or processed as an ingredient for native cakes and delicacies in the Philippines. The most popular form among school children is deep-fried cassava coated with sugar.

Health experts say certain varieties of cassava contain a form of cyanide, and that if not prepared well, it could be dangerous to humans.

Causes

Health department officials in Manila yesterday said their initial findings indicated that the deaths were caused by "cyanide poisoning," citing the speed with which the children were stricken.

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