Tianmen Mountain, Zhangjiajie, Central China’s Hunan Province Photo: VCG

The local government in Zhangjiajie, Central China's Hunan Province, confirmed on Friday that four people had died in an apparent suicide pact on Tuesday after they jumped from Tianmen Mountain, known as the inspiration for the landscape in blockbuster movie Avatar.

Three men died after jumping from the cliff on Tuesday. A woman was stopped before jumping but she died later from poison, the government said in an announcement citing local police.

The police investigation found that the woman had taken poison before trying to jump from the cliff and she died after being sent to hospital. The police believe suicide to be the reason and have ruled out criminal or other causes, the government said, noting that an immediate rescue and remedial work had been launched after the case occurred.

According to a document circulating on Chinese social media platforms, the four people come from East China's Fujian, North China's Hebei, Central China's Henan and Southwest China's Sichuan provinces. Their ages ranged from 22 to 33, CNR reported Thursday.

They had left notes saying they intended to commit suicide, media reported, citing the document circulating online, although the Global Times could not verify its authenticity.

The case has caught public attention on Chinese social media since Tuesday. Some netizens wondered how the four people got to know each other and whether the case was related to some suicide groups on social media. But the Friday announcement did not release any further details.

Tianmen Mountain is the highest mountain in Zhangjiajie Forest Park, with jagged summits that were the inspiration for the bewitching landscape of director James Cameron's blockbuster film Avatar.

According to a report in China Commercial Daily, the four people had climbed over the guard rail on the side of Tianmen Mountain.

The road has been closed since Tuesday afternoon following the case, the newspaper reported Thursday citing a local tourist guide.

Global Times