Contaminated milk food has claimed its third victim and the number of infants suffering its consequences across the country has risen almost five times to 6,244, the Ministry of Health said yesterday.

The milk food scandal has caused the first heads to roll in the Shijiazhuang administration, too, with the sacking of five officials.

The provincial capital of Hebei, Shijiazhuang, is the base of the Sanlu Group, whose baby milk food is responsible for the deaths and suffering of the infants.