Twenty-nine police officers died on the job in Guangdong province last year, with 23 of those deaths caused by overwork, according to the provincial public security department.

The officers who died on the job were mostly aged around 45. They worked under high pressure, sometimes investigating cases for several consecutive days, and some died of sudden illnesses including heart attacks, Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

The only female among the 29, Wang Lichun from the Haojiang branch of the public security bureau of Shantou, died of heart failure while working in the aftermath of Typhoon Usagi in September.