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China: Death toll from fire in Beijing hospital rises to 29

Published April 18, 2023last updated April 19, 2023

A fire in a Beijing hospital has killed 29 people and forced evacuation of dozens of patients. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

https://p.dw.com/p/4QG6n
Beijing Changfeng Hospital
Burn marks are seen on a building following a fire at a hospital in BeijingImage: Mark Schiefelbein/AP/picture alliance

Twenty-nine people have died after a fire at a Beijing hospital that forced the evacuation of dozens of patients, authorities said Wednesday.

Li Zongrong, deputy mayor of Beijing's Fengtai district, expressed his "deep condolences" as he announced the toll at a press conference. Twenty-six of the dead were patients.

The fire broke out on Tuesday just before 1 p.m. local time (0500 GMT) at the Beijing Changfeng Hospital in the capital city's Fengtai District, the Beijing Daily report said. Initial reports put the death toll at 21.

Staff removed dozens of patients from the building soon after the fire started in the private hospital's inpatient department.

Beijing Changfeng Hospital
Burnt out rooms following a fire at a hospital in BeijingImage: Mark Schiefelbein/AP/picture alliance

Cause of fire under investigation

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. Others took refuge on air conditioning units outside the windows.

Authorities have detained 12 people, including the hospital's director, in connection with the fire, said Sun Haitao from Beijing's public security bureau.

According to 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."

Beijing Changfeng Hospital is in the capital's western urban area, about 25 minutes by car from central Tiananmen Square.

dh/jcg (AP, AFP)