Advertisement
Accidents and disasters in China
ChinaPolitics

Fresh Covid questions over Chinese Covid lockdowns after 10 killed in fire at Xinjiang residential block

  • State media reports that residents were free to leave the building prompt scepticism online and claims the area was still deemed high-risk
  • The fire broke out at a residential building in Urumqi, the regional capital, which has been under lockdown since August

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
26
The fire reportedly began on the 15th floor as the result of an electrical fault. Photo: Handout
Mimi Lau
Ten people have died in a fire at a residential building in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang region, which has been under Covid lockdown since August.
Advertisement

State media reports said the Jixiang residential complex in Tianshan district had been identified as a low-risk area where residents were allowed to “leave the building to conduct activities” downstairs. But these reports were greeted with scepticism online, with web users questioning whether that was really the case.

Images shared online suggest that fire crews had trouble reaching the fire, which took four hours to put out. Photo: Handout
Images shared online suggest that fire crews had trouble reaching the fire, which took four hours to put out. Photo: Handout

The fire reportedly broke out at just before 8pm and took about four hours to put out, according to state news agency Xinhua. The fire reportedly began in a 15th floor flat as the result of an electrical malfunction and spread to the 17th floor, with smoke reaching the 21st storey.

A total of 19 people, including the 10 who died, were treated for smoke inhalation. The survivors reportedly suffered non life-threatening injuries and were in a stable condition.

State media reports that the complex had been identified as a low-risk area where residents were allowed outside were questioned by internet users, who shared screen grabs from health code apps showing the Jixiang residential complex was listed as a high-risk area.

A search by the South China Morning Post into the records from Xinjiang health commission that show changes to risk levels dating back to November 5 failed to find evidence that the Jianxiang complex had been moved to the low-risk level.

Advertisement