Woman killed by jellyfish stings

A woman died on July 28 after she was stung by jellyfish while on vacation in Beidaihe in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, local media reported on Wednesday.

The death certificate of the victim, a 47-year-old resident of the northeastern city of Shenyang, said she died of acute pulmonary edema and allergies caused by jellyfish stings, the Liaoshen Evening News said.

On July 26, the woman, who was unidentified, visited with more than 10 colleagues the Beidaihe resort, a famous tourist scenic spot.

"I was on the shore around 11 am when I suddenly heard her shout, and we hurried to pull her out," one of the colleagues said. "At that time, another colleague was also attacked by jellyfish. Both of them had red marks and small white blisters on their thighs and arms."

The woman died soon after arriving at a hospital, and her colleague recovered. Six other jellyfish sting victims received treatment in the hospital that day.

Zhang Qiang, captain of a beach rescue team in Dalian of Liaoning province, was quoted as saying that jellyfish are common in the Yellow and Bohai seas and the northern part of the East China Sea.

"The jellyfish may emerge from mid-July each year to mid-August. There is a high risk of being stung by them during that period," he said.

Zhang Mingchun, a lawyer with the Liaoning Mingxi Law Firm, was quoted as saying the local government and hotel should be held responsible for the death.

They "have an obligation to ensure that there are no security risks in the beach area. With regard to this event, both of them should take responsibility," he said.