China hospital fire: As many as 12 people have been detained after a major fire broke out at a hospital building in China's capital Beijing, killing 29 people. According to officials, detainees also include the medical facility head and her deputy.
The Chinese media reported that the fire which broke out at the Beijing Changfeng Hospital on Tuesday was extinguished within an hour. On Tuesday, it was reported that 21 people were killed in the mishap which increased to 29 a day later.
Speaking to the media, the Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission Li Ang said that the victims included 26 patients, one family member of a patient, one hospital caregiver and one nurse. He further said that at least 39 injured people are being treated in other hospitals.
More than 70 patients were affected and shifted from the fire-hit hospital admissions building in Beijing's Fengtai district. According to the preliminary investigation, the fire was caused by sparks from a construction project that ignited volatiles produced by combustible paint, the Chinese media's report stated.
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Special working team set up
The city has set up a special working team to identify the cause of the accident, and those responsible for the accident will be held accountable in accordance with the law, the report said.
Authorities have instructed all districts to conduct large-scale inspections to identify and eliminate potential safety hazards, preventing any significant safety incidents from occurring as the May Day holidays are approaching.
It should be mentioned here that Beijing Changfeng Hospital is a private hospital established in 1985, affiliated with Beijing Changfeng Hospital Corporation. The hospital, a secondary hospital in China's three-tier hospital system, is a chain hospital that specialises in the treatment of vascular diseases, especially haemangiomas and vascular malformations, as well as other comprehensive treatment programmes.
(With PTI inputs)
