Heart attack kills NPC deputy and Hangzhou mayor Shao Zhanwei

A heart attack killed a National People's Congress deputy during the legislative body's annual parliamentary session in Beijing yesterday, Xinhua reported.

Shao Zhanwei, 57, had been mayor of Hangzhou , the capital of Zhejiang province, since February 2011, according to the municipal government's official website.

The province's delegation to the NPC held an emergency meeting following the death, and many legislators said they were shocked and saddened to hear the news. Shao's family members had departed for Beijing by last night.

Shao attended a group panel discussion on Tuesday about the government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao that morning.

Staff broke into his hotel room yesterday morning after he did not show up at a morning group meeting, only to find him already "in a bad situation". He was rushed to hospital, China News Service reported.

News of the death made headlines on websites across the nation, with many web users posting condolences.

Shanghai's Dragon TV reported that Shao had suffered a heart attack last year.

Cui Wei , another NPC deputy from Hangzhou, said Shao had not arrived in Beijing until Monday because he had been too preoccupied with work in Hangzhou to get away earlier, China News Service reported.

"He was already busy lobbying for Hangzhou's 'capital of courier service' title on Monday night," Cui said, describing Shao's workaholic lifestyle.

There was no official word from Shao's doctor or family on what could have triggered the heart attack. Some commenters speculated that Beijing's poor air quality could have weakened Shao's heart, particularly after pollution was at "hazardous" and "very unhealthy" levels on Tuesday night. The municipal government was forced to issue warnings that people with a history of heart disease should avoid going outdoors.