Woman, 91, dies of smoke inhalation in Qingming ritual

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As Qingming Festival approaches, many people in China still follow the tradition of burning joss paper to show respect for their ancestors and deceased relatives.

But the improper enactment of the ritual was blamed for the death of a 91-year-old woman in a high-rise building in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Saturday.

Screenshot from Beijing News

The fire broke out at about 9:30 a.m., as the 64-year-old 10th-floor resident, surnamed Han, burnt joss paper in the corridor. A local official told the media that she did not safely dispose of the ashes, which then caused a fire.

It was put out by firefighters within 10 minutes, but the smoke wafted through the building. The 91-year-old, surnamed Chen, who lived on the 11th floor, happened to be in the corridor and died from smoke inhalation, the official said.

Screenshot from Beijing News

The victim’s nephew told local media that while the old lady sat in the corridor, the family was in the house, with the door closed. He said, “They found nothing wrong at first. After hearing the siren, they opened the door only to find the elder had died on the floor already.”

In ancient times, burning of joss paper often occurred in the vicinity of houses, which meant that most of the smoke rose and diffused into the air.

Screenshot from Pear Video

Conditions have changed nowadays, as most people live in high-rise residential areas in modern cities. But the fact is that elderly residents in certain parts of China still burn the paper along the corridor during Qingming Festival each year.

Screenshot from Kankan News

As a local resident, Chen told Kankan News, “I can smell smoke from time to time, but it’s hard to tell which floor it is coming from.”

Screenshot from Kankan News

Qianjiang Evening News reported that Han was taken to the local police station for questioning.