'29 Dead' Fire Video at Chinese Hospital Disappears from SNS

29 Dead in Fire at Beijing Hospital
Video Capturing Fire Scene at the Time Disappears

As casualties continue to rise following a fire at a hospital in Beijing, the capital of China, controversy is growing as most videos and photos capturing the scene of the fire are disappearing from Chinese internet and social networking services (SNS).

On the 19th, foreign media including Hong Kong Ming Pao reported that videos and photos of the Beijing hospital fire have all been made private on Chinese internet and SNS since the night of the previous day (18th).

Earlier, SNS posts showed people inside the hospital during the fire waiting for rescue while leaning on outdoor air conditioner units outside windows or escaping by making ropes out of bed sheets. Another video captured black smoke rising outside the building along with flames.

However, most videos and photos of the fire have now disappeared, and even those broadcast by state media along with official announcements have been deleted. The fire news had ranked first in real-time search terms on SNS but disappeared from the rankings overnight.

On the 18th, a fire broke out at a hospital in Beijing, China, and people are waiting to be rescued while leaning against an air conditioner outdoor unit.
[Image source=Weibo]

Additionally, a post by a former journalist criticizing the deletion of fire videos has also vanished. Hu Xijin, former editor of the Global Times, wrote on Weibo the previous night, "I cannot find photos and videos of the fire, and I think this is not right," adding, "I hope the authorities provide more information, including video materials, in a timely manner."

However, this post has now been replaced with another stating, "I believe information on how the accident occurred will be disclosed." This appears to be a preemptive measure by the authorities concerned about rising public dissatisfaction in China due to the large-scale casualties.

Meanwhile, the Beijing Municipal Press Office held a press conference with officials from the Public Security Bureau and Fire Department on the same day, announcing that the death toll related to the fire had reached 29 as of 9 a.m. Most of the deceased were elderly hospitalized patients. It was also reported that among the 39 injured currently receiving treatment at the hospital, 21 are in serious condition.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.