At least 11 people have died and more than 1,000 have been treated in hospital in the last four days after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin.

Officials said the victims had lit coal-fired stoves to keep warm during an unexpected spell of cold weather after the city had turned off its central heating for spring.

The incident followed a period of unpredictable weather. As in most northern Chinese cities, the central heating in Tianjin's government housing and offices is turned off in mid to late March each year.

But when temperatures then fell, officials said many residents lit up their traditional coal-fired stoves only for the weather to warm up again creating temperature inversion which may have prevented the resulting fumes from escaping.

Plans to reduce heavily polluting fuels

China has been trying to reduce its dependence on heavily polluting and in many cases, dangerous fuels as part of efforts to tackle its massive environmental problems.

The coal briquets, which have been the basic source of energy for cooking and heating for millions of people, are slowly becoming less common.

In the capital, Beijing, there are plans to create smokeless zones and thousands of homes are currently being converted to natural gas.

Just this week the Tianjin authorities hailed their success in introducing unleaded fuel in cars and said they were now planning to introduce safer, less polluting coal.
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©