China: Twelve arrested over hospital fire that killed 29

Twelve people were arrested for a fire at a hospital in Beijing At least 29 people have died as a result, authorities said on Wednesday, the day after one of the worst disasters in recent years in the Chinese capital.

He fire broke out at Changfeng Hospital in Fengtai District just before 1300 (0500 GMT) on Tuesday.

The incident killed 29 people, according to the latest report released this Wednesday by Fengtai Vice Mayor Li Zongrong.

involved

Among the 12 detainees are a hospital director and representatives of a medical center renovation company, Sun Haitao of China’s Public Security Administration, said at a press conference on Wednesday. Beijing.

Research

The preliminary investigation showed that fire it was caused by “a spark generated during the renovation and construction of the inpatient department of the hospital,” according to Zhao Yang of the local fire brigade.
The sparks “set fire to the volatile paint elements at the scene,” Zhao explained.
Dramatic footage posted on social media shows people trying to protect themselves from the fire by sitting on outdoor air conditioning units or clinging to sheets before jumping out of the hospital.
Vice Mayor Mr. fantai expressed “deep condolences” in connection with the death of 16 women and 13 men as a result of the tragedy.

Repentance

“We feel deep remorse and guilt,” Li Zongrong told reporters when he released the death toll on Wednesday.

There was a strong police presence around the establishment and a group of onlookers who were watching and recording the place on their phones, journalists from AFP.

From the outside, the building didn’t look badly damaged, but pictures of the interior, published by the economics publication Caixin, show completely charred beds and blackened walls.

According to the official newspaper, the flames were extinguished half an hour after the start of the fire, and relief teams evacuated 71 patients over the next two hours. Diary Beijing.

Other details about the number of victims of the fire and the condition of the victims were not reported.

“Priority number one is to treat the wounded,” said Yin Li, secretary Communist Party in Beijingwho went to the place, according to the official newspaper.

He recommended “setting up a working group at the municipal level” to “require individuals to be held accountable in accordance with the law.”

journalists from AFP On Wednesday, they observed dozens of people in front of the entrance to the hospital, where a large squad of police asked people not to take pictures.

No connection

Some of the hospital windows looked blackened, at least one was broken, and there were soot stains on parts of the façade.

Initially, it was not clear if all the residents of the hospital were found and evacuated from the fire in the east building of the private hospital.

The death was confirmed after the victims were taken to an unidentified hospital for emergency treatment, Beijing Daily reported.

Relatives of the patients said they had lost contact with hospitalized relatives, mostly elderly people who have difficulty moving around, according to the official Diario de la Juventud.

This was announced on Wednesday by a police officer at the scene. AFP that the city “is likely to take the necessary steps to help the families of the victims.”

Changfeng Hospital is located in the west of the capital, about a 25-minute drive from Tiananmen Square.

Deadly fires are common in China due to lax safety standards.

Ten people died in November in a fire at an apartment building in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, sparking protests against lockdowns to contain COVID-19 outbreaks. (AFP)