News / China

Death toll from Beijing hospital deadly blaze rises to 29, mostly patients

Wednesday, 19 April 2023 5:21 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 19 April 2023 5:43 PM ]

A photo by AP shows the aftermath of fire at the Beijing Changfeng Hospital.

The death toll from a deadly fire incident at a private hospital in the Chinese capital Beijing has risen to 29, according to authorities.

The fire broke out in the east wing of the Beijing Changfeng Hospital, which is located in the Chinese capital’s western Fengtai district. Li Zongrong, the deputy head of the Fengtai district, told reporters Wednesday.

The deputy mayor expressed his "deep condolences" as he announced the toll at a press conference.

He said twenty-six of the dead were patients. A medical assistant and a family member also died in the incident.

The fire broke out at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon and forced dozens of people to evacuate. Some who were trapped had to escape from windows using bedsheets tied together.

Videos of the fire circulating on social media showed black smoke billowing from the building, with some people climbing out of windows using what appeared to be makeshift ropes made out of bedsheets.

Rescue teams said some of the 142 people were evacuated from air conditioning units on the building’s exterior.

Officials said a total of 39 people are being treated for injuries, three of them in critical condition,

A preliminary investigation found the fire originated from welding sparks from work being done in the hospital’s inpatient wing.

According to the state news channel CCTV, the findings of a preliminary probe revealed that the fire was caused by "sparks generated during the internal renovation and construction of the inpatient department of the hospital."

The hospital has suspended outpatient services, and denied entry to the facility except for hospitalized patients, a Global Times reporter learned after visiting the site.

Authorities have detained 12 people, including the hospital's director, in connection with the fire.

Among the 12 people who were detained was the head of the construction crew.

Changfeng stock was suspended from trading on Wednesday citing a "major risk accident,"

The central government has pledged stronger safety measures since an explosion in 2015 at a chemical warehouse in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 173 people.

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