Authorities said Wednesday that a hospital fire in Beijing had claimed 29 lives, including 26 patients. Twelve individuals, including the hospital’s chief and her deputy, have also been detained.
Dozens of people had to be evacuated when a fire broke out at the exclusive Changfeng Hospital on Tuesday in the afternoon. Some of the trapped people had to jump out of windows using bedsheets that had been knotted together.
According to Li Zongrong, deputy chairman of the Fengtai district, the tragedy also claimed the lives of a nurse, a medical assistant, and a family member.
Officials said they suspect welding sparks started the fire from work in the hospital’s inpatient section, while the cause of the incident is still under investigation. The leader of the construction team was one of the 12 guys who were taken into custody.
According to authorities, three of the 39 patients receiving medical attention for injuries are in serious condition. 142 individuals were removed from air conditioning units on the building’s outside by rescue teams and medical personnel who were called in from all around the city.
Although safety regulations are regularly disregarded in China, incidents such to the Changfeng fire are scrutinized considerably more closely. Cutting shortcuts on labor hours can occasionally lead to construction mishaps.
Since a chemical warehouse explosion in 2015 in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 173 people, the majority of them firemen and police officers, the central government has promised stricter safety measures.
JOIN US ON WHAT'SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW.
CLICK HERE
