Staff reportedly evacuated 71 patients after a fire broke out in the inpatient department of Beijing Changfeng Hospital.
A fire at a Beijing hospital has forced the evacuation of dozens of patients and killed 21, Chinese media reported.
Emergency response teams were first informed of the fire at Beijing’s Changfeng Hospital in the capital’s Fengtai district just before 1pm (05:00GMT) on Tuesday, the state-run Beijing Daily reported.
The fire was extinguished after about half an hour, and rescue efforts continued for about two hours.
Staff evacuated 71 patients after a fire broke out in the inpatient department of the private Beijing Changfeng Hospital, according to state media including CGTN.
It is not yet known whether all personnel at the hospital have been located and evacuated from the fire.
launch an investigation
“The cause of the accident is under further investigation,” Beijing Daily said.
Throughout the afternoon, social media users posted videos of people sitting on external air conditioning units while others clung to ropes and jumped from the building.
The victim was confirmed dead after being taken to another unidentified hospital for emergency treatment, the report said.
Much of the hospital building appeared to be without power late Tuesday, with only a few windows lit by the flickering torches of staff inside.
The exterior of the building was blackened and charred, and a police car could be seen parked at the north entrance, according to The Associated Press.
Beijing Changfeng Hospital is located in the western urban area of the capital, about 25 minutes’ drive from the center of Tiananmen Square.
As of early Wednesday, there was no official word on how many patients were among the dead or how many people might have been injured.
