Internet users have joined in efforts to save a boy in East China's Shandong province who washospitalized in a shocking case of child abuse.

Scores of Internet users have expressed sympathy for 13-year-old Du Chuanwang, whosuffered damage to his intestines and other organs when two of his adult coworkers inserteda working air pump into his anus as a "prank" on the morning of June 30.

Police in Xiajin county have detained the two workers involved and are conducting aninvestigation into the incident.

Du's story was widely circulated on the Internet after an anchor from Shandong-based Qilu TVwrote about the incident via Sina Weibo, a popular micro-blogging site, on July 11.

As of 5 pm on Thursday, more than 400,000 yuan ($63,492) in donations had been depositedin an account opened by Angel Mom, a Beijing-based non-governmental organization that hasoffered to help the boy.

Du is no longer in critical condition, a source at the hospital said.

(China Daily 07/15/2012 page2)