Beijing hospital fire: Death toll rises to 29, mostly patients

The death toll from a hospital fire in Beijing has claimed 29 lives, including 26 patients; authorities announced on Wednesday that more than a dozen people, including the hospital’s head and her deputy, have been detained for their negligence.

Dozens of people had to be evacuated after a fire broke out at the exclusive Changfeng Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. Some of the trapped people had to jump out of windows using bedsheets that had been tied together.

Li Zongrong, the deputy chairman of the Fengtai district, added that a nurse, a medical assistant, and a family member also died in the tragedy.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials believe that the fire was started by welding sparks. The head of the construction team was among the 12 people taken into custody.

A total of 39 people are being treated for burn injuries, the condition of three of them is serious. Rescue teams and medical staff were called in from all parts of the city to overcome the situation. 142 people were evacuated from air conditioning units on the building’s exterior.

Although safety regulations are regularly ignored in China, incidents comparable to the Changfeng fire are scrutinised closely. Construction accidents take place in China on a regular basis due to poor safety regulations, and local officials are being bribed to ignore safety violations.