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Three detained in woman's death

Three detained in woman's death

Updated: 2012-04-14 07:39

By Cao Yin (China Daily)

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Three people allegedly responsible for the death of a woman who fell into hot water have been detained, the government of Beijing's Xicheng district said on Friday.

District police confirmed the three suspects have been detained and said a further investigation will be made.

Two of the suspects are from Beijing District Heating Group and the other is a member of Wuhua Mansion's property management department, said Sun Jinsong, a district government official. He added that work safety regulators will also impose administrative punishments on the parties involved in the incident.

On April 9, Yang Erjing, 27, a clothing store manager and mother of a 7-month-old child, died after suffering burns to more than 99 percent of her body.

The victim fell into a pool of 90 C water leaking from underground pipes when a section of pavement under her gave way near Wuhua Mansion on April 1.

The district government announced in a preliminary investigation on Wednesday that the heating group, the property management department, and Wanhua Zhiye Ltd, the developers of the mansion, bore responsibility for the accident.

Due to the negligence of the property management department, the underground pipes leading into the mansion were corroded and broken, according to a statement released by the district government.

The heating group closed the pipe valve but did not place warning signs around the areas under repair, which make it partially responsible for the accident, the statement said.

"We will continue further investigation and urge those involved to take responsibility," he said.

However, the three parties have yet to reach an agreement on the distribution of compensation to the victim and her family, Sun said.

The mansion's developers and property management department paid 320,000 yuan ($50,800) toward the victim's medical treatments before the investigation started, according to previous media reports.

Zhang Chuandong, an official from the heating group, said the company has replaced 78 meters of pipes in the area and a maintenance project for the whole city has also started.

Wang Xing, a Beijing-based lawyer from Hui Cheng Law Firm, said the death was a serious accident, which means the three suspects may face of up to seven sentences.

If negligence results in death or heavily injury, the culprit can face three to seven years in prison.

"This case is comparable to death or injury caused by missing manhole covers on roads," Wang said. "It's not accidental. Instead, it should be attributed to the negligence of public management departments."

To reduce or avoid similar potential danger, government departments must be thorough during routine inspections, he added.

Contact the writer at caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn