Two days after the fatal fire that swept through her house in Lankao county, Henan province, Yuan Lihai was admitted to the local hospital. Her sister sat at the bedside, using paper towels to wipe away tears and dipping cotton-buds in water to moisten Yuan's parched lips. "You must be strong. Don't fall down," she said, encouragingly.

Yuan's oldest son, Du Peng leaned against the wall of the hospital ward and lowered his voice whenever he discussed his mother's condition on his phone. The calls came in every few minutes.

"My mother has had heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes for a long time. She has hardly slept since the fire," he said.