Lanzhou:Six individuals have been sentenced to prison by a Chinese court for their roles in a lead poisoning case involving 247 kindergarten children in the country's northwest. The sentences were handed down on Friday, following the discovery of high blood lead levels among preschoolers in 2025.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the Intermediate People's Court of Lanzhou City in Gansu province sentenced Li Huifang, who was in charge of the kindergarten, to life imprisonment. The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Li, along with Zhu Jinglin, the executive principal of Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Maiji District, orchestrated the addition of toxic substances to the food served to children and staff, allegedly to enhance its appearance for marketing purposes.

In addition to the life sentence, Li was stripped of political rights for life and had personal property worth 500,000 yuan ($74,000) confiscated. Zhu received a 15-year prison sentence and a 300,000 yuan fine.

Four kitchen staff members who executed the instructions were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to eight years and were also fined.

A provincial investigation report from July 2025 revealed that contaminated pastries had been provided to children and staff on a monthly basis since May 2024. Of the 251 children tested, 247 were found to have high blood lead levels.

All children affected by the poisoning received either hospital treatment or home-based nutritional interventions. By July 20, 2025, most of the children had completed their first course of treatment and had been discharged from the hospital.