Around 2.45am yesterday morning, a fire broke out on the ground level of an apartment building on Anshan Si Lu, in Shenzhen's Bao'an District. Although it was put out shortly afterwards at 3am, the fast-spreading flames claimed seven lives. Two of those deaths came about as victims frantically tried to escape the burning building. Four other residents remain under care in nearby hospitals, nursing "serious injuries," according to an official government statement on Weibo.
The fire happened in Ma'an Shan Community, in an area of Shajing Subdistrict where handshake buildings cluster close together. Both officials and residents suspect the fire was started by electric bikes – the apartment building had a spacious garage on its first floor where residents could charge their vehicles overnight.
The crowded neighborhood where Ma'an Shan Community is located.
Residents told reporters that about 10 minutes after the fire had started on the first floor, police in the building tried to get people to put it out with water. It didn't work. As the flames spread towards the upper stories, some residents still inside began trying to escape while others directly dashed to the roof. Rescue workers arriving at the scene were finally able to extinguish the flames.
Many inhabitants of the building are still suffering the aftereffects. Those without a place to stay have temporarily been put up at the Ma'an Shan Village Committee offices, but it's not exactly a permanent solution.
Residents take a well-deserved nap on the floor of the offices.
The scene of the fire has been sealed off by police.
In the meantime, in its Weibo statement the Bao'an District Party Committee attempted to reassure the public that the government is doing its best to ensure everyone's safety. Six teams have been set up at the Ma'an Shan Community site in order to rescue and rehabilitate residents as necessary. At least one person suspected to hold some responsibility for the fire starting has been taken into custody. And finally, local safety and community workers have gathered for a meeting at the site of the fire. Their next step, the Weibo post reads, is to look into the safety of the entire district.
Update (August 30, 2016 at 1.20pm CST): Bao'an's District Party Committee has released some new information about the fire on its Weibo. For one, it announced that all residents of the burned-down building have been given a place to stay, whether it's in a hotel or at a friend's place. Shajing local government will cover their living expenses for the time being.
Also, a total of 11 people were caught under suspicion of being partially responsible for the fire. Five of them are being detained; their number includes two former landlords of the building and the current one, for not ensuring that safety measures were up to standards. Two people by the last name of Chen (presumably unrelated) who work for Ma'an Shan Joint Stock Co., Ltd., have also been detained under suspicion of illegally selling and transferring land use rights for the apartment building.
Police were seen taking in suspects on August 29.
It turns out that yesterday's meeting of local safety and community workers was fairly productive as well. Afterwards, officials sent out safety warnings to all tenants in Bao'an. They also ordered landlords to be careful about keeping emergency exits clear, and taking the proper measures to keep fires from starting.
[Images via SZnews.com]
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