Dispute over debts

Thrown from eleventh floor: Chinese man survives thanks to chimney

Gambling debts almost proved fatal for Guo Xu in China: Because he was unable to pay the equivalent of around 7,000 euros after a game of mahjong, his opponents unceremoniously threw him from the eleventh floor. The man survived by falling down a chimney - but he could have lost both legs.

According to the  Daily Mail, Guo Xu told the authorities that he had gone on vacation to the capital Zhengzhou with his wife and five-year-old son from Henan province. While his family visited the zoo, he went to the hotel's casino to play chess and cards.

According to the 35-year-old, he was persuaded to play the fateful game of mahjong. He was a good player in his home village, but didn't stand a chance in the city. He was subsequently unable to pay the equivalent of 7,000 euros, which led to disputes. In the end, the other players threw him out of the window.

Guo Xu fell to the third floor, where he landed in a chimney and the connected ventilation shaft. Although this saved his life, he was trapped so tightly that his legs were no longer supplied with blood. Doctors said that both legs may therefore have to be amputated. 

According to the Daily Mail, the 35-year-old's wife was devastated by the incident: the family's life was ruined, she said, as her husband earned the money - and there were no savings to pay the bills. "How am I supposed to look after him without money?"