Photo: Screenshot of online video

A couple in East China's Jiangxi Province died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, leaving behind eight children with the youngest only nine months old, Chinese media reported Wednesday. 

The couple, whose names were not reported, were both in their thirties. They died earlier this month when they had a shower in a rented house in the town of Zhuting near the city of Yichun.

The forensic report said they died of carbon monoxide poisoning after a primary investigation. The couple's families refused an autopsy for further investigation, according to media reports.   

The children, six girls and two boys, are currently under the care of their grandmother, who is more than 60 years old, their uncle and his wife, both over 30 years old, media reported. 

Local authorities gave their grandmother 20,000 yuan ($3,152) as consolation money and will continue to give each child 1,200 yuan ($189) per month in subsidies, until they are 18 years old, according to media reports. 

Some netizens wondered how the couple could have eight children under the country's family planning policy. Local officials told media that they tried to persuade the couple not to have more children after they gave birth to the fourth child, but they insisted on having more children and the authorities could not intervene.           

Since 2015, Chinese authorities have relaxed the household registration policy to allow newborn children to be registered as long as their parents are present at the registration site and have a birth certificate, according to the local officials.