A child, who was severely injured from a boat fire in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Thursday, died after medical treatment failed on Friday, bringing the fire's death toll to seven, according to local police. Another two injured children were still receiving treatment in hospital. Witnesses said the fire broke out around 3:25 p.m. Thursday on a boat anchoring on Liujiang River in the region's Liuzhou City. Liu Shuihong, the owner of a boat nearby, managed to save three children from the vessel in flames. Fire fighter found the bodies of six other children by 5:30 p.m. Friday. Police said all the victims, aged from one to six, came to Liuzhou from other places with their parents, who are living on collecting scraps. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Local government has decided to strengthen management work on floating population to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2004)
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