I was in a Rotary board meeting when it happened and only later in the evening we went to have a closer look. At that time (around 11pm) the building was still smoldering. Police and emergency vehicles were everywhere and so were busloads of military security forces. See my pics.
I collected some of the best pics, in the frenzy I am not sure where they all come from, some are from China Daily, South China Morning Post, Reuters, AFP, Tom Van de Weghe etc. Others are mine and dated.
You can see how the complex looked like in April 2008 and just a very few days before the blaze.
The 159-meter building is around a corner from the iconic CCTV main tower. It was not used during the Olympics, contrary to some reports and was due to officially open around mid-2009. The building is a 30-story luxury hotel, the 241-room Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The building seems doomed and insurance claims could be refused.
CCTV hired staff from a fireworks company (Hunan) to ignite several hundred large festive firecrackers in an open space outside the hotel, said Luo Yuan, spokesman and deputy chief of Beijing Fire Control Bureau. Total cost: 1 million RMB. Their idea was to organize the greatest of all fireworks and they were filming the whole process. A great show it indeed was…
We heard that a massive amount of fireworks were brought to the rooftop where they ignited by accident. This explains the massive explosions seen over the roof. The whole structure burned like a torch, using the aluminum façade as a conduit for the fire from the roof, down to the ground. Apparently no water was available in the building and the fire services of the city can’t cope with such high-rises. Scary.
The type of fireworks used is strictly banned in the whole city because of their dangerous nature.
In other words, some people in CCTV did incredible stupid things and planned nothing in fire prevention planning. The culprits promptly ran away when the fire started but the police caught up with them in Lanfang, halfway to Tianjin.
A massive amount of brand new TV equipment was stored inside. Losses could reach 5 4 billion RMB.
It is also a massive loss of face for the city.
The SCMP reported:
A mainland website poking fun at China Central Television’s programmes has become an overnight hit as netizens gloated over the fire that gutted a building in the complex of the state broadcaster’s new headquarters.
Netizens who claimed to have been subjected to CCTV’s whitewashed news reports and the mainland’s strict censorship said they were rejoicing in the fire.
Many said the fire was CCTV’s most entertaining event in decades.
The authorities ordered newspapers and websites to strictly follow Xinhua’s reports on the fire and banned any independent articles or unauthorised pictures. Journalists complained that they were banned from commenting on the fire.
If you see above a blank space, 🙁 most probably China has blocked YouTube or this video. It is supposed to show one of the best videos of the fire. You can go directly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avBkDtVCNng
Official media coverage was pathetic. Officials tried to prevent media coverage but that was impossible – one hour later it was on YouTube and other websites. Local Chinese newspapers simply ignored the “restrictions” and discussed about the drama in detail. But now pictures are gradually being removed.
We expect some heads to roll. Literally. Over ten people are already “in custody”.