24-2-2024 (BEIJING) Tragedy struck in Nanjing, eastern China, as a fire engulfed a residential building, resulting in the loss of at least 15 lives and leaving 44 people injured, according to local authorities on Saturday.
The fire erupted in the early hours of Friday morning, with initial investigations suggesting that it originated on the first floor, where electric bikes had been stored, officials revealed during a press conference.
The building, situated in Nanjing’s Yuhuatai district, is part of the bustling city with a population of over eight million, located approximately 260 kilometers northwest of Shanghai.
Emergency services managed to extinguish the fire by 6 am (10 pm GMT, Thursday), concluding the search and rescue operation around 2 pm on Friday, as stated by authorities.
A total of 25 fire trucks were dispatched to combat the blaze, as confirmed by emergency services. Disturbing footage circulated on Chinese social media platforms, capturing the skyscraper ablaze in the darkness of the night, with billowing black smoke emanating from its structure.
Other visuals depicted towering flames devouring multiple floors of the building, while the flashing lights of emergency vehicles were visible nearby in the dimly lit surroundings.
Subsequent footage, seemingly captured later, showed white smoke billowing from various points within the building.
The 44 injured individuals were swiftly transported to hospitals for immediate medical attention, officials reported, noting that one person was in critical condition, while another sustained serious injuries.
During the press conference, Mayor Chen Zhichang expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and offered heartfelt apologies.
Unfortunately, fires and other fatal accidents are not uncommon in China due to lax safety standards and inadequate enforcement. The country has witnessed a recent surge in deadly fires, often attributed to negligence on the part of officials. Last month, President Xi Jinping called for “deep reflection” and stronger efforts to “curb the frequent occurrence of safety accidents.”
15 people were killed and 44 others were injured in a blaze at Block 6 of Mingshang Xiyuan (明尚西苑) in Yuhuatai District (雨花台区), Nanjing, Jiangsu, early Fri morning (Feb 23).
A preliminary investigation found that the fire erupted on the building’s 1st floor, where… pic.twitter.com/baARowE5Mc
— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) February 24, 2024
In January, dozens of lives were lost in a fire that erupted in a store in the central city of Xinyu. State news agency Xinhua reported that the blaze was caused by “illegal” use of fire by workers in the store’s basement. Just days before that incident, a fire broke out in a school dormitory in central China’s Henan province, claiming the lives of 13 sleeping schoolchildren.
Reports from a teacher at the school indicated that all the victims were from the same third-grade class, consisting of nine- and ten-year-olds. Domestic media accounts suggested that an electric heating device caused the tragic fire.
In November, 26 individuals were killed, and numerous others were hospitalized following a fire at a coal company office in northern China’s Shanxi province. The previous month, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northwest region of the country claimed the lives of 31 people, prompting pledges from authorities to launch a nationwide campaign to enhance workplace safety.
In April, a devastating hospital fire in Beijing claimed 29 lives, forcing desperate survivors to leap from windows in a bid to escape the engulfing flames.
