Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200812/20081213/article_384332.htm
Fire's only survivor awakes from coma
Created: 2008-12-13
THE only survivor of a school dormitory carbon monoxide poisoning incident that left 11 dead in Shaanxi Province has woken up after 10 days in a coma, her father said.
"Our daughter regained consciousness on Thursday, but she is still rather weak and has some difficulties speaking," Cai Xingqiang said.
The 11-year-old girl, Cai Maomao, suffered carbon monoxide poisoning with 11 other fourth-graders when they were using a charcoal heater to warm their dorm room on the night of December 1 and early morning of December 2 in the Duiziliang Middle School in Dingbian County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Eleven died in hospital. Only Cai survived.
Doctors with Dingbian County Hospital said Cai could remember the names of her teachers and parents, but she still needed further treatment.
Police said they believed a quilt fell on the stove during the night. It caught fire and ignited the coal stored under a bed. As the coal smoldered, the students were poisoned.
Jia Feng, deputy head of Dingbian County, was removed from the standing committee of the Dingbian county committee of the Communist Party of China after the accident. Mao Xin, Dingbian Education Bureau director, was also sacked.
Police have detained Zhao Binghong, the school's head, as well as Han Huilong, the school's deputy, and Song Xiaoyan, a teacher.
The family of each deceased student was given 200,000 yuan (US$29,050) in compensation, the publicity office of Dingbian County said.
"Our daughter regained consciousness on Thursday, but she is still rather weak and has some difficulties speaking," Cai Xingqiang said.
The 11-year-old girl, Cai Maomao, suffered carbon monoxide poisoning with 11 other fourth-graders when they were using a charcoal heater to warm their dorm room on the night of December 1 and early morning of December 2 in the Duiziliang Middle School in Dingbian County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Eleven died in hospital. Only Cai survived.
Doctors with Dingbian County Hospital said Cai could remember the names of her teachers and parents, but she still needed further treatment.
Police said they believed a quilt fell on the stove during the night. It caught fire and ignited the coal stored under a bed. As the coal smoldered, the students were poisoned.
Jia Feng, deputy head of Dingbian County, was removed from the standing committee of the Dingbian county committee of the Communist Party of China after the accident. Mao Xin, Dingbian Education Bureau director, was also sacked.
Police have detained Zhao Binghong, the school's head, as well as Han Huilong, the school's deputy, and Song Xiaoyan, a teacher.
The family of each deceased student was given 200,000 yuan (US$29,050) in compensation, the publicity office of Dingbian County said.
Xinhua
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