Dormitory Fire Blackens Beijing CBD Sky, No Apparent Injuries

Thick black smoke from a workers' dormitory fire at a construction site next to Wanda Plaza darkened the Monday afternoon sky over Beijing's Central Business District (CBD), but no injuries were apparent.

The fire broke out at approximately 4pm, in a room on the second floor of temporary housing for workers at the site of construction by Zhong Xin Real Estate. Workers could be seen attempting to douse the flames with a hose from atop a truck. By 4:20pm, at least seven fire trucks had responded from two local fire departments.

The massive construction site will be a mixed use site comprised of housing blocks and retail stores, and represents one of the last large-scale undeveloped properties in the CBD. The fire's relatively small size should not have a significant impact on construction.

The blaze is the second within the last 10 days in Beijing. On Friday October 11, 49 fire engines responded to a fire at a shopping mall in Shijingshan in western Beijing. Conflicting reports indicated that two firefighters were killed, although others said there were no injuries.

In July, the Carrefour store in Shuangjing caught fire, damaging parts of the store, but with no injuries. Smoke from that blaze was also visible throughout the CBD and inside the Fifth Ring Road.

Ironically, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, next to the Rem Koolhaas-designed CCTV Tower, was visible as the dormitory burned. That landmark CBD hotel, consumed in a February 2009 fire that killed one firefighter, still has not opened for business.

Photos: Steven Schwankert