fire in china hospital Twelve people have been detained after a massive fire broke out at a hospital building in the Chinese capital Beijing, in which 29 people died. According to officials, the head of the medical facility and his deputy are also among the detainees.
Chinese media reported that a fire at Beijing Changfeng Hospital on Tuesday was put out within an hour. On Tuesday, 21 people were reported killed in the accident, which increased to 29 a day later.
Speaking to the media, Li Ang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, said the victims included 26 patients, a patient’s family member, a hospital caregiver and a nurse. He further said that at least 39 injured are being treated in other hospitals.
More than 70 patients were affected in Beijing’s Fengtai district and were transferred from the entrance building of the hospital affected by the fire. Chinese media reports said that according to preliminary investigations, the fire was caused by a spark from a construction project, which ignited volatile substances produced by flammable paint.
Read also: China: 21 killed in Beijing hospital fire; 71 patients evacuated
special task force has been formed
The report added that the city has constituted a special task force to identify the cause of the accident and those responsible for the accident will be held accountable according to the law.
Authorities have directed all districts to carry out massive inspections to identify and eliminate potential security threats to prevent any significant security incidents as the May Day holiday approaches.
It should be mentioned here that Beijing Changfeng Hospital is a private hospital established in 1985, affiliated to Beijing Changfeng Hospital Corporation. The hospital, a secondary hospital in China’s three-tier hospital system, is a chain hospital that specializes in the treatment of vascular diseases, especially hemangiomas and vascular malformations, as well as other comprehensive treatment programs.
(With PTI inputs)