Students at Liaocheng University in Shandong province join a memorial service on Friday to pray for Yue Yue, who died more than one week after being run over. [Photo by Zhang Zhenxiang / for China Daily]

GUANGZHOU - Yue Yue, the 2-year-old girl who was run over by two vehicles last week and ignored by numerous passers-by, died in hospital on Friday.

She died of brain failure at the General Hospital of the Guangzhou Military Command in South China's Guangdong province, doctors said.

Her death triggered a nationwide wave of mourning, as the incident has been closely followed by people who are concerned about a seemingly lack of morality in Chinese society.

Chinese netizens mourned Yue Yue and wished her well in another world. "I hope her departure will bring concrete changes to society," said one.

Yue Yue's case, which has aroused attention and heated discussions across the country, has become far more than a traffic accident.

Commentators and the public have reflected on what is missing in the morality of society.

As heart-breaking footage from a surveillance camera shows, 18 people who passed the accident scene in a hardware market in Foshan, Guangdong province, ignored her.

A full seven minutes after the first vehicle ran over the girl, a 57-year-old rag collector spotted her and found the parents.

The public has poured out its anger on the indifferent passers-by and hailed the woman who tried to save her as the only one showing a conscience.

Both she and the girl's family have been offered donations.

The incident once again raised the possibility of legislation against those who refuse to help others in danger at accident scenes.

Many have said the system of protecting those who help others in danger needs to be reinforced, after controversial court verdicts in a number of cases where the rescuers were sued for causing the accidents.

Comments have also pointed to the negligence of Yue Yue's parents and insufficient parental care of many small children.

The media as well has been scrutinized for negative reporting of such accidents, which is deemed as partly holding the public back from helping others in danger.

As a sign of change, the past few days have seen a lot of news about cases of people helping others in danger. A Guangzhou-based media group has called on society to "say no to indifference and awaken true love."

The Guangdong provincial authorities organized three rounds of panel discussions by people from various fields on helping people in need.

Wang Yang, Guangdong Party secretary, urged at a provincial Party committee meeting that "with the participation of the public, a system, conditions and social environment be created to promote good and punish evil."

"Efforts should be made to lift the morality of the whole society and the conscience of everyone and to avoid similar things from happening again."

Tan Xuezhen contributed to this story.