The death toll from a fire at a hospital in southwest Beijing has risen to 29. including 26 patientsaccording to the latest update from the Chinese authorities.
Twelve people, however, were arrested after the fire, police said. Among those arrested are the director of the hospital and employees of the company responsible for repair work at the facility.
The update on the number of casualties included a nurse, an attending physician and a patient’s relative.said Li Zongrong, deputy chief of Fengtai district.
Changfeng Private Hospital fire forced the evacuation of dozens of people. Some patients and staff managed to escape through the windows by improvising a rope of sheets. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
At least 21 people were killed in a fire at a hospital in Beijing on Tuesday. Patients trapped inside were forced to swing from air-conditioning units, awaiting rescue, while at least one jumped to a roof below to escape the flames and smoke. https://t.co/0HbZOspOKi pic.twitter.com/lAkhREA1qO
– The New York Times (@nytimes) April 18, 2023
Patients have climbed out of their windows after a fire broke out at a hospital in Beijing, killing at least 21 people
Learn more https://t.co/8xyWy2cBPY pic.twitter.com/B6rDoA5KPI
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 19, 2023
Firefighters managed to douse the flames about half an hour later, although the rescue operation took about two hours.
Deadly fires are common in China, where poor building code enforcement and rampant unauthorized construction can make it difficult for people to escape from burning buildings.
On Monday, at least 11 people died in a fire at a factory in the city of Jinhua, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province.
Source: DN
