China talent show singer dies during plastic surgery

Beijing — An aspiring young pop singer who gained fame as a contestant on China’s TV equivalent to “American Idol” died last month during a facial plastic surgery procedure, news agency AFP reports.

Wang Bei, 24, died Nov. 15 while undergoing facial bone-grinding surgery in the central China city of Wuhan. According to news reports, her jaw started bleeding during the procedure, blocking her windpipe and causing death by suffocation.

The incident has reignited concerns in China about the dangers of plastic surgery. State media report that 3 million residents a year undergo cosmetic surgery procedures.

Increasing demand reportedly has led to procedures being performed by untrained doctors, and some in the Chinese media complain that the country is suffering from an obsession with physical appearance.

China’s Ministry of Health is investigating the incident, according to news reports.