A 58-year-old detained man was beaten to death by his inmates the second day after he was detained in a south China prison, authorities said Sunday.

The suspect, Luo Jingbo, a farm worker in Danzhou City of Hainan Province, was beaten by Chen Shizhao and Wu Daxing and others who lived in the same ward at the First Detention House in Danzhou City on March 2, after he refused to obey their order of taking a bath.

In the assault, Luo's head bumped with the wall and then fell to the ground, according to the detention house.

Luo was then sent to the Danzhou City No. 1 People's Hospital. But he died on March 4 despite all medical rescue efforts.

Yang Caicong, a policeman on duty, learned the incident through the monitoring device but did not take immediate measures to stop the attack.

Later, the detention house's deputy head Guo Hanshu learn of the case and rushed into the ward to intervene in it.

Chen Yong, head of the detention house, and Guo Hanshu, a deputy head, were suspended from their posts recently.

Policeman Yang Caicong was detained on Friday for dereliction of duty.

Luo was detained for carrying explosives a day before the attack.

The case was still being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2009)