BEIJING: The death toll as a result of a deadly fire that broke out in Beijing’s Changfeng hospital on Tuesday has climbed to 29. Officials said the head of the hospital and those in charge of construction were among 12 people detained after the incident. Initial investigations suggest that the fire was caused by construction inside the hospital, generating sparks that ignited combustible materials.
The hospital suspended outpatient services and denied entry to anyone except hospitalized patients. Parts of the building wall were burnt black, and the fire was blocked to the public. The Fengtai district fire department received a report of the fire at 12:57 pm on Tuesday. The fire was put out at 1:33 pm, and the rescue work continued until 3:30 pm.
Initial reports stated that 21 people died in the incident. However, officials later announced that several of those affected by the fire had succumbed to their injuries, raising the death toll to 29. Eyewitnesses revealed that most of the injured were bedridden elderly patients, with some dying after being transferred to other hospitals. Several doctors and nurses also sustained burns during the fire.
Following the incident, Changfeng’s stock was suspended from trading on Wednesday due to a “major risk accident,” according to media reports.
