Death toll in hotel blaze in Xiangyang, Hubei, rises to 14
Three suspects wanted for questioning by police turn themselves in, but fourth remains at large
The death toll has risen to 14 from a fire at a commercial building with a hotel in Xiangyang, Hubei province.
But three of four suspects wanted by police in connection with the blaze turned themselves in yesterday, according to a local government statement online.
The four suspects were the owners and managers of an internet café and hotel in the building.
The fourth suspect remained at large. Police said a task force had been dispatched to detain the suspect, but it wasn't clear where.
Three more people were pronounced dead at hospital yesterday. The victims of Sunday's blaze included 10 females and four males. The youngest was a five-year-old girl, and the oldest was a 76-year-old woman.
A total of 47 people were injured, and 24 were in serious but stable condition yesterday while more than a dozen were discharged after treatment for minor injuries. The fire started at about 6am and was brought under control by about 9am.
Residents living nearby told People's Daily that it took firefighters more than an hour to reach the scene. They said the first to arrive didn't have ladders or inflatable cushions to save people clinging to safety on window ledges.