Fudan University sued by parents of poisoning victim

Parents of a Fudan University student poisoned by his roommate had begun action against the university for lax management of a toxic substance, a court in Shanghai said on Friday.

Huang Yang, a postgraduate at the university, died of organ failure days after his roommate Lin Senhao put N-nitrosodimethylamine, stolen from a university lab, in a water dispenser in his dormitory on March 31, 2013.

Huang's parents filed a civil lawsuit with Xuhui District People's Court one week ago, against four defendants including Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital (affiliated to Fudan University), a related person surnamed Lyu, and the Tianjin Chemical Reagent Research Institute Co., Ltd.

The case entered mediation on Friday, the court said.

The N-nitrosodimethylamine Lin used was taken from a lab in the Zhongshan Hospital where students including Lin conducted experiments. The parents claim that Fudan University and Zhongshan Hospital had lax control over the chemical so should have joint liability.

Lyu who bought the chemical and left it in the lab after an experiment should also assume liability for Huang's death, the parents said.

In addition, Tianjin Chemical Reagent Research Institute sold N-nitrosodimethylamine to Lyu without checking his permit to buying the highly toxic chemical.

"We hope the lawsuit will help improve the management of hazardous chemicals and avoid further poisoning cases," said Huang Guoqiang, Huang Yang's father.

Lin was sentenced to death by Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People's Court in February 2014 for intentional homicide. Shanghai Higher People's Court upheld the death sentence on Jan. 8, 2015. Lin was executed on Dec. 11, 2015. Endi