BEIJING: A woman recovering from Influenza A(H1N1) at a hospital in eastern China's Zhejiang Province was found dead in a ward toilet on Wednesday, but local police and health authorities are investigating the actual cause of her death.

China would have its first death from the flu if she had indeed died from the disease.

According to the Hangzhou Municipal Health Bureau, the 34-year-old woman was found dead at 7.35 a.m. in the toilet of her ward at the Xiaoshan district hospital in Hangzhou, the provincial capital.

The woman was admitted to the hospital on June 23, and had shown signs of recovery as the high fever and other flu symptoms disappeared over a week except for an occasional cough.

Liang Wannian, vice director of the emergency office under the Health Ministry, warned Monday that China was "very likely" to have its first death from the flu in the foreseeable future as the number of flu cases continued to increase.

He also warned of the possibility of a widespread occurrence of the flu in China in the coming autumn and winter.

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Health announced that up to 6 p.m. Wednesday mainland China had reported 56 new cases of the flu, raising to 867 the total number of flu patients in the country.

Of the number, 523 had been discharged from hospital, 341 were under treatment in hospital and three were under self-quarantine and medical treatment in their homes. (By VINCENT LOW/Bernama)