The death toll in a fire that ripped through a hospital in China\u2019s capital Beijing has risen to 29, a city official said Wednesday.
\nThe fire at the Beijing Changfeng Hospital in the Fengtai District broke out at around 1pm (5am GMT) on Tuesday and was extinguished about half an hour later.
\nLi Zongrong, deputy mayor of the district, expressed his \u201cdeep condolences\u201d as he announced the new toll at a press conference.
\nTwelve people, including the facility\u2019s director, have been detained in connection with the fire, said Sun Haitao from Beijing\u2019s public security bureau, adding that representatives from a company renovating the hospital were among those being held.
\nState broadcaster CCTV reported that a preliminary probe revealed the blaze had been caused by \u201csparks generated during the internal renovation and construction of the inpatient department of the hospital\u201d.
\nThe sparks \u201cignited the volatiles of the flammable paint on the site\u201d, CCTV said.
\nSocial media users posted videos on Tuesday of people sitting on external air conditioning units, while others clinging to ropes jumped from the building.
\nThe victims were 16 women and 13 men, Li said. \u201cWe feel deep remorse and guilt,\u201d he told journalists.
\n\u201cOn behalf of the Fengtai district party committee and district government, I hereby express our deep condolences for the victims, and express our sincere respects to the victims\u2019 families, the injured and their relatives, and apologise to the people of the whole city.\u201d
\n39 hospitalised
\nCCTV reported that out of the 29 dead, 26 were patients at the hospital, two were hospital staff and one was a patient\u2019s family member.
\nThere were still 78 patients being treated at the hospital, who have been moved to the facility\u2019s west building, CCTV said.
\nState-run People\u2019s Daily reported that as of Wednesday morning 39 people were being treated in the hospital with injuries, and another three had been discharged.
\nTop city officials visited the hospital shortly after the fire, with Beijing party secretary Yin Li vowing to \u201cquickly identify the cause of the accident and hold the relevant responsible persons accountable\u201d, according to the Beijing Daily.
\nAFP journalists on Wednesday saw dozens of onlookers outside the entrance to the hospital, where a large number of police officers were stationed, discouraging people from taking photos.
\nSome of the hospital\u2019s windows appeared blackened and at least one was broken, with soot marks visible on parts of the facade.
\nMany family members have lost contact with patients, with the missing being mostly older people with mobility problems, the China Youth Daily said in a separate report on Wednesday.
\nA police officer on the scene on Wednesday told AFP that the city \u201cwill probably make the appropriate arrangements\u201d to take care of victims\u2019 relatives.
\nBeijing Changfeng Hospital is located in the capital\u2019s western urban area, about 25 minutes by car from Tiananmen Square.
\nDeadly fires are common in China due to weak safety standards and lax enforcement.
\nTen people died in an apartment block blaze in northwestern Xinjiang in November, sparking protests against Covid-19 lockdowns blamed for hindering rescue efforts.
\nAnd 38 people were killed in a fire at a factory in central China, also in November, with authorities blaming workers for illegal welding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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