A postgraduate medical student in Shanghai who police believe was poisoned by a roommate has died.
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Huang Yang was pronounced dead at 3:23 pm on Tuesday due to multiple organ failure, Fudan University said on its micro blog.
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The 28-year-old fell ill on April 1 after drinking from a water cooler in his room at the college dormitory. Doctors later said he showed symptoms of liver failure.
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Suspecting foul play, police tested the water and found a toxic compound. Authorities did not elaborate, but media reports say the substance was N-Nitrosodimethylamine, which can cause liver damage.
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Huang's roommate, identified only as Lin, has been detained on suspicion of contaminating the water supply. Investigations are continuing, police said.
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However, Fang Ming, a spokesman for the university, denied speculation online and among students on Tuesday that the victim had been poisoned due to jealousy over his good performance in a recent PhDÂ admission test.
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On a bulletin board in a building opposite the victim's dormitory, someone had posted a note under a notice about the incident quoting a well-known poem: "We grow from the same root. Why are you so impatient in wanting to boil me?"
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The ancient verse is often used to mock people who try to attack a once-close friend.
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Fang insisted there was no academic competition between Huang and Lin. They did not have the same major and worked as interns at different hospitals, he said.
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The spokesman said the police are continuing their investigation.Â