Video: In China, 29 people have died so far in a fire in Beijing
Twelve people, including the hospital director, have been detained on suspicion
A hospital fire killed 29 people in Beijing, but authorities kept a tight rein on the details of the tragedy. The fire occurred on April 18 at Fengtai District Changfeng Hospital around 1 p.m., forcing some patients to climb out of windows and hide in air conditioning units. However, the state media was silent and censors censored any mention of the incident on the Internet.
Beijing residents did not learn of the fire until several hours later, and most details about the incident were scarce due to information control and censorship. On Wednesday, authorities offered more details about the fire, reporting that it was caused by sparks from interior renovation work that ignited flammable paint.
Twelve people, including the hospital director and construction workers, were detained on suspicion of gross negligence. The fire is the deadliest in Beijing in two decades, surpassing the death toll from a fire at a two-story building in the southern suburb of the Chinese capital in 2017, which killed 19 people.
The incident is also one of the most censored in recent years and reflects the stricter controls on the media in China under the leadership of Xi Jinping. Internet users and Beijing residents expressed surprise at the extent of censorship and information control.