An editor was sentenced to three days detention on Friday for falsely writing that three people who died were murdered, Chengdu Business Daily reported.

The editor, surnamed Chen, worked for a news website in Yilong, Sichuan province.

He received a "tip-off" on Thursday that claimed three people were murdered in a village. Without any independent confirmation, Chen published the information on the website.

The deaths were in fact due carbon monoxide poisoning caused by faulty indoor heating.