Tragedy at hotel in China
At least 18 killed in an early morning resort fire in Harbin. Rescue operation still ongoing.
BEIJING: A fire at a hotel in China has left at least 18 people dead, according to an initial death toll given by state media.
The incident started at early morning yesterday in the hotel in Harbin, capital of the northeastern Heilongjiang province, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
According to an official report on the government’s social media account, a statement said the firemen managed to put the fire out after three hours,
The cause of the fire was under investigation, the government said.
The provincial fire department said in an official post that the fire had started from the kitchen on the second floor, but gave no further details.
“At 12pm on Saturday (yesterday) 18 people were already confirmed dead.
The rescue operation is ongoing,” the agency said in a report, citing information from local firefighters.
“An enquiry into the causes of the fire is underway,” it added, without giving further details.
Hotel fires are common in China, where fire security regulations are routinely neglected.
In April, 18 people were killed and five more injured in a fire at a karaoke establishment in the country’s south.
In November, a fire left 19 people dead and eight injured at a boarding house in Beijing.
And in May 2015, 38 people were found dead in a fire at a retirement home in central Henan province. — AFP