Two ultraviolet lamps at a conference hall injured more than 30 people from across the country in Haikou, Hainan Province.

The victims were exposed to the ultraviolet rays for about eight hours on Saturday in the triple-star Jinjingwan Hotel, the Haikou Evening Newspaper reported yesterday.

The 33 victims were attending a real estate training course.

The two lamps had been installed to prevent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and bird flu. A hotel manager couldn't explain how they were switched on during the course.

The training course started at 8:30 AM on Saturday. By the end of the afternoon session, the participants felt dry and burning skin and eye discomfort, said one victim identified as Cao.

The report said most attributed their symptoms to Hainan's climate as it was their first visit to the tropical island.

Most female participants applied skin lotions repeatedly in an attempt to alleviate the discomfort, only to increase the pain.

By evening, many victims could hardly open their inflamed, watery eyes. They also had runny noses.

One of the female victims, identified as Zhou, visited a hospital that night and was told by an eye doctor that ultraviolet rays were to blame. The next day, Zhou urged the hotel to turn off the lamps. The hotel sent all victims to hospital.

(Shanghai Daily December 27, 2005)