China school
A school in China. JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images

A Chinese student has entered a coma after they were forced to stand outside in the cold as part of a punishment.

Guangxi Network Television revealed that Yang Haoyue was placed into intensive care after entering a comatose state.

She is understood to have developed multiple organ failure after she passed out on 11 December at a school in the south of the country.

The 13/14-year-old (correct age not publicly revealed) first collapsed on the 29 November after being punished for being caught talking after bedtime.

One of Yang's friends told the television network that she and others had been ordered to take off their slippers and stand outdoors overnight in the school playground where temperatures were at around 13 degrees Celsius.

The friend said: "They told us to get down, with our hands supporting our body and if we dared to move, the punishment would be increased by 30 minutes."

But Yang collapsed and suffered a seizure while she was outdoors.

Yang was rushed to hospital and resuscitated, and although alive, she was suffering with chest complications that have now left her in a coma.

Pupils have since spoken out about the behaviour of staff towards students, which is now being investigated by the Daxu township police.

Police are hoping to see CCTV footage to reveal the events of that night.

Yang's family are now seeking financial compensation from the school to help them with the $3,000 a day it costs to keep their daughter alive.