LANZHOU - Fifty-six people have fallen ill after eating at a wedding banquet in northwest China's Gansu province, local authorities said Sunday.

They suffered bellyache and diarrhea Friday morning, one day after finishing a feast at a wedding ceremony held at a local hotel in Weirong township of Jingning county, a county government spokesman said.

All the sick were immediately sent to nearby hospitals, the spokesman said.

To date, 15 people have been discharged from hospital, and 41 are still being treated, he said.

The hotel has suspended operation and local health authorities have launched an investigation, he added.