LANZHOU - More than 50 people have been confirmed to be suffering from lead poisoning in northwest China's Gansu Province, local authorities said Thursday.

The local work safety bureau in Jiayuguan City received a telephone report on Wednesday that more than 100 people working for the city's Tongjia Renewable Resources Processing Co. Ltd. were suffering from lead poisoning, bureau officials said.

So far, more than 50 people have been diagnosed as having excessive lead in their blood and they are suffering from moderate or higher lead poisoning.

The exact number of victims and the cause of the incident are under investigation.