Yang Erjing, Beijing Sidewalk Collapse Victim, Dies After Falling Into Scalding Pool Of Water

A young woman died late Monday night about a week after falling through a Beijing sidewalk into a pool of scalding water, chinaSMACK reports.

Yang Erjing was walking to work in Beijing when the a one-square-meter part of the sidewalk crumbled beneath her feet, sending her plummeting into a pit of hot water, China's Global Times reports.

The blog CRIENGLISH.com notes that the 27-year-old was submerged in boiling water for about a minute before being pulled out. According to Shanghaiist, Yang's colleague was present at the time of the incident. She described Yang's skin and flesh as "almost separated."

An official from the Beijing District Heating Group, which was carrying out repairs nearby, told China Daily that corroded pipes contributed to the accident. Shanghaiist writes that the water pipe leakage had been reported prior to the accident, but no action had been taken.

CRIENGLISH notes that the building developer had paid about $50,700 to cover Yang's hospital expenses. However, chinaSMACK reported that the woman died from organ failure after 99% of her body was burned.