BEIJING – Twelve people have been detained by police for questioning after a hospital fire in Beijing killed at least 29, most of them patients.
The fire, among the deadliest in recent years, broke out in Changfeng Hospital at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
Angry and concerned relatives rushed to the hospital hours later, only learning of the fire from local news reports.
“Seven or eight hours have passed and I didn’t even receive a call,” one relative told China Youth Daily.
Many said they spent the night trying to locate loved ones. Those who were rescued have now been shifted to other hospitals for treatment.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, officials said a preliminary investigation showed that sparks generated during renovation works had ignited paint stored on site.
Among those detained are the director and deputy director of the hospital, as well as the head of the firm overseeing the renovation works.
Footage on social media showed patients jumping out of windows to flee as dense smoke billowed out of the building. A talking drone urged trapped patients to “stay calm and wait [to be] rescued”. Some were seen balancing on external air conditioning units as they waited to be rescued. (BBC)
