Patients receive treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning in a hospital in Yanbian, Northeast China's Jilin Province.

   CHANGCHUN, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The death toll from a series of household carbon monoxide leakage and poisoning cases in Jilin Province, Northeast China, has risen to 16 as another resident was found dead at home Thursday afternoon, the provincial health department said Friday.

    The tragedy occurred in a number of residential areas in six cities the Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture of the Korean ethnic group in Jilin Province, including Yanji, Longjing, Tumen, Helong,Wangqing and Antu, due to a combination of burning coal and bad winter weather, according to the department.

    More than 290 poisoned residents have been hospitalized. Most of them were out of danger, while four badly-poisoned were still in critical condition.

    Experts owed the incidents to the recent low atmospheric pressure, which led to an incomplete burning of the coal used for cooking and heating by local residents.

    In many areas of North China, burning coal in stoves remains the main way of cooking and winter heating for rural residents and urban dwellers living in old residential buildings.

    Local authorities in the affected areas and some adjacent regions are warning people against carbon monoxide poisoning and urged them to maintain a good ventilation environment. Enditem

Weather blamed for coal fume poisonings

    BEIJING, Feb. 18 -- Low pressure, rain and high humidity might have caused the deaths of 16 residents in coal stove asphyxiation cases in Yanbian, Jilin Province, since Monday, according to .

A woman receives treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning in a hospital in Yanbian, Northeast China's Jilin Province February 16, 2006.

    Such weather conditions tend to keep carbon monoxide close to the ground, experts said.

    Figures from the Jilin Meteorological Observatory showed that from last November to February 12, there were 47 days with low atmospheric pressure and 84 days with light winds.

    On Friday, there were no more reported deaths. Four of the eight critically ill patients were reported to be in stable conditions, and most of the 291 patients have been discharged from hospital, said officials with the Yanbian health department.

    According to the provincial health department, of the victims, 12 were found dead at their homes, and four others died either in hospital or during emergency treatment.

    The poisoning cases happened in several residential areas in six counties of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Northeast China.

    Wang Xiaoming, deputy head of Jilin provincial observatory, said many people do not know how to use coal stoves correctly and pay little attention to the potential dangers. "You must always keep the room well ventilated and make sure chimneys are unobstructed," Wang said.

    In North China, rural residents and urban dwellers in old residential buildings still use coal stoves to cook and keep warm in winter.

    In another accident, a 1,499-ton Panamanian ship sank on Thursday night near Dongjia Island of Pingtan in East China's Fujian Province, leaving four dead and 31 missing. Two sailors were rescued.

    The Fujian Maritime Search and Rescue Centre said the accident occurred at 11:28 pm while the 84.8-metre "Heng Da 1" was on its way to Indonesia. It had a crew of 37 sailors.

(Source: China Daily)