At least 651 young people in 30 prefectures were taken to hospitals with convulsions and other maladies Tuesday evening after watching the popular TV cartoon "Pocket Monsters," based on the best-selling Nintendo Game Boy software of the same name, the Fire Defense Agency Agency of the Home Affairs Ministry said Wednesday.
As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, 135 of the 651 viewers still required hospitalization.
In Kitakyushu, an 11-year-old girl's condition deteriorated and she was temporarily placed in an intensive care unit. One 5-year-old girl in Osaka and a girl in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, were listed in serious condition, officials said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.