Eleven Chinese fans die watching World Cup: report

A woman takes a picture with her mobile phone of her favourite football players at a World Cup promotion in Beijing. Eleven Chinese fans have died while watching World Cup matches, with experts blaming the high number of deaths on fatigue and extreme emotions.

Eleven Chinese fans have died while watching World Cup matches, a Beijing newspaper reported Wednesday, citing experts who blamed the high number of deaths on fatigue and extreme emotions.

The Beijing Morning Post said the number of deaths in China was among the highest in any nation even though the country's team was not in competition.

It cited a UK-based blog -- Worldcupdeathwatch -- which kept a death count based on media reports from various countries, including China's English language newspaper China Daily.

As of Tuesday, it had logged a total of 50 deaths.

The Chinese victims were from Zhejiang province and Zhuhai and Changsha cities, Beijing Morning Post said.

Chinese fans were more prone to death partly due to the six-hour time difference between China and Germany, which meant the televised matches began late at night or even at 3:00 am, it said.

Staying up late to watch the games, Chinese fans suffered fatigue and an increased chance of falling ill, the paper said.

Excessive drinking, high temperatures and staying indoors for long periods also contributed to ill health and bad moods, it said.

A female fan from southwest Chengdu city jumped 17 floors to her death on June 15 after she argued with her boyfriend over watching a game, the report said.