Village in grief as school-blast victims buried

Traumatised parents of children killed in last week's explosion at a school in Jiangxi province began the painful task of burying their dead yesterday - but they were unable to bury their anger at the Government's explanation for the blast.

The coffins were laid on open ground before being covered with red clay, and were marked only by colourful paper memorials bearing their names and inscriptions from their parents.

Tang Zhuhua, the mother of one of the victims sat rigid in her bed, staring blankly at the wall. She had not eaten in the five days since her son, Wang Zhiguo, 11, died. Next to her sat her surviving son, Wang Kaige, who was also at the school but escaped with only a minor facial wound.

Three other 11-year-olds were laid to rest alongside Wang on a hill overlooking Fanglin, Wanzai county.

In a house just five minutes from Ms Tang's along a muddy path, Gao Chenghua lay in shock with a make-shift intravenous drip attached to the bed frame above her. Ms Gao also lost an 11-year-old son, Wang Tingbo, in the tragedy.

Village native and migrant labourer Luo Tangshou, whose son Luo Linbao was another victim, was working in Hunan province when he heard about the explosion.

'I had no idea it was a school,' he said. 'I assumed it was a fireworks factory because there are so many here. Schools should be the safest places.'