State Council to oversee probe into Beijing hospital fire

The Information Office of Beijing Municipality holds a press conference briefing on the Beijing Changfeng Hospital fire, in Beijing, capital of China, on April 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Work Safety Committee of China's State Council will supervise the investigation into the Beijing Changfeng Hospital fire, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Friday.

The death toll from the fire, which broke out Tuesday at the Beijing Changfeng Hospital and was extinguished within an hour, had risen to 29, according to a press conference on Wednesday.

The committee will send staff to help guide local authorities in handling and investigating the accident.

It requires a prompt probe into the accident, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, to quickly find out the cause and seek accountability.

According to a preliminary investigation, the fire was caused by sparks from a construction project that ignited volatiles produced by combustible paint.