Advertisement
Advertisement
Accidents, extreme weather and disasters in China
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
The fire reportedly began on the 15th floor as the result of an electrical fault. Photo: Handout

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
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.

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

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.

Probe into claims man died after being neglected at Xinjiang quarantine centre

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.

Web users also questioned why it took four hours for firefighters to put out the blaze. Multiple video clips uploaded to live-streaming platforms and Weibo have shown fire engines apparently unable to gain access to the complex and stuck in narrow lanes next to some barricades.

01:51

Xinjiang restricts outbound travel as officials admit to Covid-19 mistakes

Xinjiang restricts outbound travel as officials admit to Covid-19 mistakes

Since August 10 Urumqi has been enduring its longest and toughest Covid lockdown. On Thursday last week, the city updated its Covid controls to allow residents in districts that have reported no cases for five days in a row to leave home in an “orderly and controlled” manner.

It announced the changes days after the State Council, China’s cabinet, had announced a series of adjustments to Covid controls, including a relaxation to lockdowns and citywide mass tests.
Since the relaxation, China’s daily number of infections has jumped to a record high. The National Health Commission reported more than 32,695 local infections on Friday morning, including 29,654 without symptoms.

Outcry over China’s zero-Covid policy again as woman, 55, dies in lockdown

The case count exceeded the previous peak in mid-April when Shanghai was under hard lockdown and more than 29,000 local infections were reported nationwide.

As of Thursday, Xinjiang had reported a total of 977 new cases, only 20 of whom showed symptoms.

26