An official and people's congress deputy in a central China city died Saturday while under investigation over corruption charges, local authorities said Sunday.

Ran Jianxin, 49, died while being interrogated in the People's Procuratorate in Badong County in Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, the county government said in a statement.

Ran was a people's congress deputy in the city of Lichuan in Enshi Prefecture and former Party boss and director of Duting Street Office in Lichuan.

He was arrested on May 26 on charges of taking bribes from construction contractors.

Gan Guowei, a cousin of Ran, said he found signs of wounds on Ran's body at the Badong County People's Hospital and believed it was "unnatural death."

The Provincial Procuratorate in Hubei has launched an investigation into Ran's death.