The badly decomposed bodies of an elderly couple were found in their apartment about a week after they died from heatstroke, reports Xinmin Evening News.

One of the couple's six daughters found them when she visited their home after failing to reach them by phone.

Temperatures rose as high as 39.6 degrees centigrade in the days following their deaths.

The husband, Jiang Yueli, 78, and wife, Du Guizhen, 76, had no air conditioning.
Du was found lying on the floor of the bedroom, while Jiang, who suffered paralysis in his legs, was found near the door. Neighbours said they seldom saw the couple, and their daughters rarely visited them.

The pair were very frugal, unwilling even to turn on the electric fans in their flat.

A post-mortem concluded that the wife died two days before her husband. Police reckoned the man tried to crawl towards the door to call for help.

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