Beijing, Jan 23 (AFP) Authorities in China reported on Thursday the first death outside of Hubei, the central province where a new SARS-like virus epidemic is believed to have originated.

The health commission in northern Hebei province, which borders Beijing, said in a statement that an 80-year-old man diagnosed with the new virus died on January 22.

The death in Hebei increases the total death toll in China from the virus to 18. (AFP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)