China: 21 Killed After Massive Fire Breaks Out In Beijing Hospital

China Hospital Fire: The fire broke out at around 12:57 p.m.(0457 GMT) and was doused at around 13:33 p.m. after an emergency team hurried to the location of the mishap.

Changfeng hospital fire

Source : Twitter

A fire broke out in the east wing of a hospital's inpatient department in Beijing, China, killing 21 people, the Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday.

The fire broke out at around 12:57 p.m.(0457 GMT) and was doused at around 13:33 p.m. after an emergency team hurried to the location of the mishap in Beijing's Changfeng hospital, as per the Beijing Daily.

Following the rescue efforts, a total of 71 people were evacuated and transferred. The Beijing Daily reported that 21 patients who had been admitted to a hospital for treatment had passed away as of 6 p.m. (1000 GMT).

“It’s tragic. I can see the accident from the window of my house. A lot of people were standing on the air conditioning unit at noon, and some even jumped off,” said a Weibo netizen.

In China, hospital fires are uncommon, and the blaze's cause is still under investigation.

In a separate incident, the local government reported on Tuesday that a factory fire in Wuyi County, Jinhua City, in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Monday resulted in the deaths of 11 people.

The blast broke out at 14:04 on Monday. After receiving an emergency call regarding the incident, firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel rushed to the location.

Two rounds of search and rescue operations were completed by 4 am Tuesday after the fire was managed and 11 bodies were found, the China Daily detailed.
 
The fire was said to have started in a plant that makes wooden doors, possibly from things like paint, packages, and wooden doors.

The announcement also stated that those who are believed to be responsible for the incident have been detained and that a more in-depth investigation is currently underway.