China Scene: West

Sputtering from acid gulps, kid awaits 3rd surgery

A 17-year-old who mistook a bottle of sulfuric acid for soda pop is awaiting his third surgery in Fengjie county, Chongqing municipality.

Ma Kaijun, a middle-school student in a village in the county, was so thirsty when he returned home from school on Feb 14 that he grabbed a bottle next to the TV set and thought it was soda pop. The bottle of sulfuric acid that he gulped has severely damaged his stomach and esophagus. Though he is in stable condition, he reportedly needs a third operation.