Two students at Guiyang College were hospitalized after drinking "Zhuyuan" bottled water on March 31, they were diagnosed with Hepatitis A, the report said

Some people in Baiyun and Yunyan districts and Xiuwen County of Guiyang fell sick after drinking the same brand of water since April 8, the report said.

Reports of similar cases poured in from other parts of the city, infecting about 200 students at Guiyang College, the report said.

As of April 14, 269 cases were reported, of which 246 were confirmed, the report said.

Officials also urged people to get vaccinated, the report said.

Officials said an extraordinary big amount of melted snow leaked underground and tainted the source of the bottled water.

Southern parts of China experienced the biggest snowstorms in five decades and the amount of accumulated snow broke records.

Poor sanitation by the bottling company was also blamed for the contamination, the report said.

It didn't mention if any action was taken against the company.

Police were still investigating this incident.

(Shanghai Daily April 24, 2008)