TAIYUAN, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 359 people, including 12 children, have been rescued from illegal brick kilns in north China's Shanxi Province, the joint investigation group announced here on Friday afternoon.

The investigation group jointly dispatched by theMinistry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Public Securityand the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, meet the media in Taiyuan,Shanxi on Friday afternoon.

(Xinhua Photo)

Police are checking up the ages of nine other people to make sureif they are child labors, said the investigation group jointly dispatched by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Public Security and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

Employment of child labor aged below 16 is forbidden in China.

Police have also found that 65 of the forced workers rescued are mentally retarded.