7 dead, dozens trapped in China quarantine hotel collapse
China’s state media are reporting that seven people died when a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine centre collapsed last night in southeastern China’s Fujian province. The Ministry of Emergency Management says 80 people were in the building when it came down; nine escaped, while about 70 people were trapped. Of those, 43 have been pulled from the rubble and 28 currently remain unaccounted for.
A video streamed by the government-backed Beijing News site showed rescue workers in orange overalls sifting through the rubble of the Quanzhou Xinjia Hotel and carrying people to ambulances.
The hotel collapsed at about 7:30pm and 34 people were rescued in the ensuing two hours, according to the Quanzhou municipality’s website.
“I was at a gas station and heard a loud noise. I looked up and the whole building collapsed. Dust was everywhere, and glass fragments were flying around. I was so terrified that my hands and legs were shivering.”
A woman named only by her surname, Chen, told Beijing News that relatives, including her sister had been under quarantine at the hotel after returning from Hubei province, where the virus emerged. She said they were scheduled to leave soon after completing their 14 days of isolation.
SOURCES: CNN | Al Jazeera | Thai PBS World
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