Shaanxi

Suspect detained after forest fire

Police have detained a suspect in relation to a forest fire in Shaanxi province that killed eight villagers, local authorities said on Sunday. The fire started at about 4:30 pm on Saturday near Fodong, a village in Xunyang county, according to the county government. Eight villagers were seriously burned while fighting the blaze and died despite doctors' efforts. An initial investigation indicated the blaze was caused by careless use of fire by the suspect, surnamed Zhang. All residents near the fire scene were relocated to safe areas.

Shanghai

School uniform dye tested toxic

Toxic dye was detected in student uniforms in a recent random test by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, Shanghai East Radio News Channel reported on Saturday. Aromatic amine dye, which can cause cancer, was found in school uniforms produced by the Shanghai Guangming Garments Co Ltd. All 201 toxic uniforms in the batch were recalled.

Beijing

Red tape goes under the knife

The disciplinary watchdog of the Communist Party of China has begun the second stage of its campaign to cut red tape in its system. Running until June next year, the stage will target regulations and normative documents from the founding of New China in 1949 to 1978, according to a statement by the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on Sunday. The move will give the commission a clear picture of the existing regulatory situation and clarify its fight against corruption.

Cold snap to hit north and east

A cold front will sweep eastern and northern China over the next few days, bringing strong winds and lower temperatures, the National Meteorological Center said on Sunday. Temperatures will drop between 6 and 10 degrees in the area to the north of the Yangtze River's lower reaches, the center said. Meanwhile, some areas in North China and Northeast China will witness temperatures below 0 C, the center said.

Hainan

High alert remains for Typhoon Nari

The National Meteorological Center on Sunday continued an orange alert for Typhoon Nari, the second-highest warning in its four-tier color-coded weather warning system. Nari will be the 25th typhoon to hit China this year and is expected to cross the Xisha Islands on Monday and Hainan Island on Tuesday. Heavy rains are expected to hit Hainan province, the southern part of Guangdong and coastal areas of Fujian from Sunday to Monday around noon.

Jiangsu

Man sets himself alight over dispute

A man set himself on fire and died in a community building in Sheyang, Jiangsu province, over a debt dispute with the building contractor. Seven others, including five policemen, were burned in the incident, chinanews.com reported on Sunday. Han Yong, 40, is reported to have asked the contractor to pay his salary many times without success. At about 9 pm Saturday, he went to the Haifeng community and was refused payment again. He became furious and used gasoline he brought to set himself alight.

Jiangxi

Tourists injured in wharf collapse

Tourists crowded a wharf at a scenic spot in Jiangxi province that opened for free on Sunday, leading to the collapse of an approach bridge, Jiangxi Daily reported. Eighteen people were bruised or fell into the water, according to the report. The incident happened around 10 am when the number of tourists at the wharf was reaching its maximum limit. Some tourists ignored an order by the scenic spot's staff and continued to pack the wharf, which led to the collapse.

Officials urged to get Net-savvy

A senior official in Jiangxi province has called for government officials to make better use of the Internet, Xinhua News Agency reported. Government officials should learn how to use the Internet and get in the habit of using it to better understand people's opinions, Qiang Wei, the provincial Party chief, said at a work conference on Saturday. Qiang's remarks were aimed at improving the official publicity work of the province.

Chongqing

11 missing in bridge collapse

The number of missing people following the collapse of a bridge under construction in Chongqing has risen to 11, the local government said. A pier of a bridge being built across the Yangtze River in Fengdu county collapsed at about 10:30 am on Saturday, the county government said, after a beam on a floating crane fell and struck steel cofferdams that supported the pier. Ten construction workers and one resident, who was washing clothes in the river, were missing after the accident. Sixteen vessels and 141 rescuers were searching the river for the missing people.

Shanxi

Mom drops weight to donate kidney

A mother who lost weight to become a kidney donor for her son was discharged from a hospital on Friday with her son after successful surgery on Sept 30, Shaanxi Daily reported on Sunday. Guo Zhenzhen, a 50-year-old farmer from Shanxi province, was found to be a match for her 28-year-old son two years ago. However, doctors said the transplant was only possible if she lost weight. Guo ran for about 5 kilometers each day and succeeded in reducing her weight from 77 kilograms to 62 kg.

China Daily - Xinhua

(China Daily USA 10/14/2013 page3)