29 killed in Beijing hospital fire

Twenty-nine people have died after a fire at a Beijing hospital that forced the evacuation of dozens of patients, authorities said Wednesday.

Li Zongrong, deputy mayor of Beijing's Fengtai district, expressed his "deep condolences" as he announced the toll at a press conference. Twenty-six of the dead were patients.

The fire broke out on Tuesday just before 1 p.m. local time (0500 GMT) at the Beijing Changfeng Hospital in the capital city's Fengtai District, the Beijing Daily report said. Initial reports put the death toll at 21.

Staff removed dozens of patients from the building soon after the fire started in the private hospital's inpatient department.

Cause of fire under investigation

Videos of the fire circulating on social media showed black smoke billowing from the building, with some people climbing out of the windows using what appears to be makeshift ropes made out of bedsheets. Others took refuge on air conditioning units outside the windows.

Beijing Changfeng Hospital is in the capital's western urban area, about 25 minutes by car from central Tiananmen Square.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Source: DW, AP, AFP