PAINFUL
On Christmas Eve, four boys in a village in
Qiaojia County, Yunnan Province, allegedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning as they were warming themselves by a fire in the bedroom. The four children, the oldest 11 years old and the youngest just four years old, were brothers in a family of seven left alone by their parents who went out to visit their eldest son who had been detained for fighting. Knowing little about fire safety, the boys moved a brazier into their bedroom and closed the widows to keep the warmth in. Media reports said that there have been frequent similar accidents in rural areas since winter arrived – just two days before, another two children in the same province also died of the same cause. Netizens have appealed for the authorities to strengthen children's safety education and warned parents not to leave minors alone at home.