10 people taken to Beijing hospital after apparent mass suicide bid
Group dressed in T-shirts with characters for 'Harbin Railway Bureau' found on Beijing street
A group of at least 10 people drank pesticide on a street in Beijing in what appeared to be a suicide pact on Tuesday morning, but it was unclear whether anyone died, local media reported.
The incident occurred near the Beijing West Railway Station - a major transport hub in the capital - and some of the participants wore white T-shirts with red Chinese characters that said "Harbin Railway Bureau", the Beijing Youth Daily reported.
A witness was quoted as saying people were spotted lying in the street, surrounded by vomit and tissues. "They didn't speak and it seemed like they might have been unconscious," the passer-by told the newspaper.
The Beijing News reported online the group had been petitioning the China Railway Corporation prior to drinking the pesticide, but it was unclear what their concerns were. The report was later removed from the site.
Police cars and ambulances soon arrived at the scene, and the 10 were taken to two nearby hospitals, according to the Youth Daily. Their conditions were not known, and a staff member at Fuxing Hospital said only some patients had been admitted after taking pesticide.
Photos posted online on Tuesday showed police officers guarding a triage room at Fuxing Hospital, and several people wearing the same white T-shirts were photographed sitting or lying on beds in a hospital corridor.