29 killed in Beijing hospital fire; 12 detained
Police have detained twelve individuals for questioning after a hospital fire in Beijing claimed the lives of at least 29 people, the majority of whom were patients.
Tuesday at 13:00 local time, one of the deadliest fires in recent years broke out in Changfeng Hospital.
Angry and concerned relatives rushed to the hospital after learning of the fire only hours later from local news reports.
A relative told China Youth Daily, “Seven or eight hours have passed and I have not even received a call.”
Many reported spending the night searching for loved ones. The rescued individuals have been transferred to other hospitals for treatment.
Officials stated at a press conference on Wednesday that a preliminary investigation revealed that renovation-related sparks ignited paint on-site.
The director and deputy director of the hospital, as well as the head of the company overseeing the renovations, are among those detained.
Social media footage showed patients jumping out of windows to escape the building as thick smoke billowed out. A talking drone advised stranded patients to “remain calm and await rescue.” As they awaited rescue, some were seen balancing on external air conditioning units.
Local media reported that firefighters evacuated approximately 70 individuals and extinguished the fire within an hour of their arrival.
ALSO READ: Alabama Mass Shooting: Four Dead, 28 Injured at Birthday Party
However, relatives of those receiving treatment at Changfeng were furious with the hospital administration.
They reported that even eight hours after the incident, hospital officials were unable to provide the names of the injured or deceased.
A relative told local media, “Just tell me if the patient is dead or alive,” “How can the person simply vanish into thin air? The nurses and doctors did not answer their phones. My elderly relative does not carry a cell phone.”
According to reports, the majority of hospital patients were elderly, and some had undergone amputation procedures, making them less mobile.
Throughout the majority of Tuesday, social media users in China criticized the lack of coverage of the incident.
FreeWeibo, a platform that monitors content on the microblogging site Weibo that has been censored or deleted, reports that many of the posts containing eyewitness accounts were removed beginning in the early afternoon.
“What is shocking is not only the loss of life but also the appalling silence of media outlets that were merely spectators during the incident. A Weibo user remarked, “The official announcements we’ve read omit the disaster’s tremendous devastation.”
“The media once served as a watchdog, highlighting social ills. However, what about today? What is the modern media?”
HEY READER. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS SITE BY CLICKING ADS. DON’T FORGET TO HIT THE NOTIFICATION BELL FOR MORE UPDATES AROUND THE GLOBE.
