A fire at a hospital in central Beijing killed at least 21 people on Tuesday. This is reported by Chinese state media. Dozens of patients and hospital staff had to be evacuated.
Firefighters were able to put out the fire that started in the east wing of the hospital in the Chinese capital after at least 71 patients were rescued. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Images on social media show how people escape from windows, including through knotted bed linen.
Much of the hospital is sitting according to AP news agency currently still without electricity, while the part where the fire raged would be completely unusable. The death toll from the fire could rise as authorities have not yet officially confirmed the number of victims.
Reuters news agency quotes an eyewitness who saw people in the hospital climb on top of the air conditioning outside their windows to escape the flames. “Some even jumped off,” said the witness. Fires in hospitals in China are said to be uncommon. The last major fatal fire in Beijing was in 2017, when 19 people died in a house fire.
#killed #Beijing #hospital #fire