At least 42 dead in Shanghai high-rise fire...

xiao_liang
November 15, 2010, 05:37 PM posted in General Discussion

Hopefully no-one we know :-(

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11759276

 

A fire has destroyed a high-rise building in Shanghai, killing at least 42 people, state media report.

At least 90 others were injured as the blaze tore through a 28-storey block of flats in the Chinese city, Xinhua said.

The building was being renovated when the fire broke out. Chinese TV showed people clinging to scaffolding surrounding the building as they waited to be rescued from the flames.

Firefighters battled for several hours to bring the blaze under control.

It remains unclear what caused the fire, but witnesses say construction materials caught fire and the flames quickly climbed the scaffolding surrounding the building.

More than 60 fire engines were called to battle the fire, officials say. It took several hours to bring the blaze - which reportedly started in the early hours of Monday afternoon - under control.

Survivors evacuated

TV footage showed soot-smudged people stumbling out of the building, and a rescue worker being lowered onto the roof from a helicopter.

Survivors of the fire have been searching hospitals for missing friends and relatives.

One man who lived in the building said: "All of my relatives and friends have been driving to all the different hospitals! As a family member, what can I do in this situation? How can I calm down?

"I have only one thing to say - I ask the Communist Party to come and help quickly."

The building was reportedly home to a number of retired teachers, and municipal officials said it housed 156 families in total.

Shanghai television said survivors had been evacuated to a nearby stadium where rescue officials had set up a command centre.

 

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jen_not_jenny
November 16, 2010, 03:53 AM

Tragic. It seems the death toll is now up to 53. We saw huge rolling pillars of smoke from the office windows yesterday afternoon.