Beijing: A top United Nations official on April 6 died of the lethal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China taking the death toll to 51, even as hundreds of fresh cases were reported, official statistics said.

The number of patients affected by SARS hit 1,247 by April 5 on China's mainland, of whom 51 had died, said an official with China's Ministry of Health.

The death included Pekka Aro, a Finnish official with International Labour Organisation (ILO), the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Qi Xiaoqiu an official of the ministry's department of disease control as saying.

Pekka Aro, 53, arrived in Beijing from Thailand on March 23 to attend an international labour conference. He was hospitalised with high fever, Qi said.

The number of SARS cases increased by 57 in China during the past four days, including five deaths.

"Newly added cases mostly occurred in Guangdong province," Qi said.

The number of confirmed infections in Beijing had also risen to 19 from 12, Qi said. It was not clear if the Finnish was included in the tally of 51 nationwide.

The additional deaths and cases of SARS came as five experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) are currently touring the worst affected Guangdong province in South China to probe the causes of SARS, which is thought to have originated there.

PTI