A factory fire in the Chinese city of Anyang in Henan province left 36 people dead, two injured and two missing on Tuesday. The incident took place at Kaixinda Trading Co Ltd in the Wenfeng District, or "High-tech Zone", in Anyang City, news agency Reuters reported citing state media.
Around 36 people were reportedly dead on Tuesday morning while two were sent to the hospital for treatment with minor injuries, CCTV reported.
Local officials said the public security department was able to control relevant criminal suspects without disclosing details of the incident.
Meanwhile, China reported two new deaths of elderlies from Covid-19 on Monday as several major cities followed strict restrictions. On Monday, a 91-year-old woman with a history of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, and an 88-year-old man with a history of cancer, bronchitis and stroke died, reported news agency AFP.
New cases in the capital touched 962 on Monday from 621 the day before, as authorities continued with restrictions in an effort to contain the flare-ups. Almost 600 areas of the city are marked “high-risk", a designation that typically mandates residents to isolate for several days in their housing units or move to state quarantine facilities.
China announced its first new death from Covid-19 on Sunday in a span of half a year amid strict new measures in Beijing and across the country. The National Health Commission reported the death of an 87-year-old Beijing man due to the virus. It is the first death reported since May 26, bringing the total death toll to 5,227.
Earlier, death was reported in Shanghai which witnessed a major springtime surge in cases.
The latest wave comes amid recent changes in China's zero-Covid policy, which asks authorities to be more targeted in their clampdown measures and steer away from the widespread lockdowns and testing that have strangled the economy and frustrated residents.