China releases Beijing hospital fire investigation report

BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday made public an investigation report concerning a major fire that occurred in a Beijing hospital earlier this year, killing 29 people and injuring 42.

The fire broke out in Beijing Changfeng Hospital on April 18, resulting in a direct economic loss of 38.32 million yuan (about 5.34 million U.S. dollars), according to the report, which was approved by a State Council executive meeting.

The investigation team identified the fire as a major production safety accident, and said the hospital had carried out renovation work in violation of laws and regulations. The local Party committee and relevant government departments were also found to have failed to fulfill their duties.

The hospital failed to oversee construction safety, eliminate fire hazards, and respond to the accident effectively, according to the team.

The investigation showed that the fire was caused by sparks from a construction project that ignited volatiles produced by combustible paint.

Following the fire, the Beijing municipal government on April 21 designated an investigation team to look into the accident, and the State Council supervised the investigation process.

The team urged medical and health institutions to improve their safety management, plug loopholes in safety supervision and construction project management, and build up their emergency disposal capacities.