 | |
| Date | 23 February 2024 |
|---|---|
| Location | Nanjing, China |
| Coordinates | 31°56′48″N 118°41′24″E / 31.94667°N 118.69000°E |
| Type | building fire |
| Deaths | 15 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 44 |
On 23 February 2024, a fire broke out in an apartment block in Nanjing, China, leaving at least fifteen dead and 44 others injured.
Background
Due to low safety standards and poor enforcement, building fires and similar deadly incidents are common in China. Recent examples included the Yingcai Boarding School fire on 19 January 2024 where 13 children were killed in a school dormitory sparking outrage among social media users. Five days later, on 24 January, the Xinyu shopping area fire killed 39 people. After this last fire, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping called for "deep reflection" and greater efforts to "curb the frequent occurrence of safety accidents". [1]
Fire
The fire occurred at a block of flats in the Yuhuatai district of Nanjing. At around 4:40 AM local time firefighters were called. Twenty-five fire engines and 130 firefighters from eight stations went to the fire. An additional 20 rescue teams to search the complex. At 4:50 a.m., the Nanjing Emergency Center sent nine ambulances to the scene and sent the injured to three hospitals. [2] By 6:00 AM local time the fire had been extinguished and a search operation was under way. [3] The rescue operation was stopped at 2 PM. [1]
Photos taken during the night of the fire shows black smoke emitting from the building. [1] Photos of the apartment building after the fire had been extinguished showed blackened fronts up to the length of the skyscraper. [3]
Victims
Fifteen people were killed in the fire and 44 others were hospitalized, one in critical condition and another one seriously injured. [3]
Investigation
The provincial government of Jiangsu established an investigation team to investigate the cause and responsibility of the fire. [4] According to the head of the fire department from a preliminary investigation, the fire started on the first floor where electric bikes were being stored which are known to catch fire at times. [3] The cause of the fire is still under investigation. [3]
Aftermath
On 23 February, the Nanjing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the Nanjing Municipal Government established a fire response emergency headquarters. [5] In the afternoon, the Nanjing Municipal Safety Committee meeting was held to make arrangements for the aftermath of the accident and the investigation and rectification of potential safety hazards. [6] Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee Secretary Xin Changxing and Governor Xu Kunlin went to the hospital to visit the injured, and 516 people were accommodated in five hotels. [7]
The blaze became a trending topic on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. By this the afternoon of 24 February it was viewed over 470 million times. [8]
Reactions
Chen Zhichang, the mayor of Nanjing, offered his condolences and apologies to the families of the victims. [3] Some commentators, including former Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin, called for stricter regulations on the increasing popularity of electric bicycles. They also called on authorities to be more proactive. [8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "At least 15 killed in fire at apartment block in China's Nanjing". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "南京雨花台區火災15死44傷 電動車存放處起火引致 - 新聞 - Rti 中央廣播電臺". Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ a b c d e f "China: 15 dead and dozens more injured in Nanjing flat fire". February 24, 2024. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "新京报 - 好新闻，无止境". www.bjnews.com.cn. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ "系电动车停放处起火引发！南京火灾事故已致15人遇难 - 新闻频道 - 中山网". www.zsnews.cn. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ "江苏南京市安委会召开（扩大）会议部署事故善后和安全隐患排查整治". k.sina.cn. February 24, 2024. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "南京一小区发生火灾：516名群众已被安置到5家宾馆_七环视频_澎湃新闻". The Paper. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ a b "At least 15 killed in fire thought to have been started by electric bicycle in eastern China". February 24, 2024. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024 – via CNN.