19 people have been killed and 18 others injured in a fire incident at a Chinese Resort Hotel China’s northeast city of Harbin on Saturday.
The fire which occurred at the Beilong Hot Spring Hotel within Harbin’s Sun Island recreation area raged for over three hours before it was put out by a force of 105 firefighters with 30 fire trucks according to state television reports.
Government officials reported that Firefighters found 16 people dead after the blaze while three more died after being evacuated to a hospital.
Government officials sent out messages on its social media account reporting further that 18 people were injured and a total of 70 evacuated.
Saturday’s fire incident is the latest in a string of deadly blazes that have plagued China despite government efforts to improve public safety over the last twenty years.
Chinese Government officials further reported that this latest fire incident was under investigation.
Harbin is the second largest city in Northeastern China after Shenyang with a population of 5 million people.
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It is well known for the Russian architecture of its inner city and as the site of a winter festival with sculptures made of ice blocks cut from the Songhua River.
The Chinese government have tried has tried to improve fire safety in the country following deadly fire incidents at hotels, shopping malls and apartment buildings. But the country still suffers from major fire outbreaks despite safety measure put in place.
A fire incident back In November was blamed on faulty wiring at a Beijing apartment building; that particular incident also killed 19 people.
Back in 2010 another deadly fire incident at a Shanghai apartment tower killed at least 58 people. Authorities blamed sparks from a welder’s torch for the incident which injured a lot of people.