BEIJING -- A fire that swept through a privately run home for the elderly in central China killed 38 people and left much of it a charred ruin, raising concerns over the safety of facilities housing the country's rapidly aging population.
The fire broke out Monday night in the Kangleyuan Rest Home, which housed 51 residents in the city of Pingdingshan in Henan province, the province's work safety administration said in a statement. In addition to the dozens who died, six people were injured, including two in serious condition, the statement said.
A photo of the fire scene released by China's official Xinhua News Agency showed many sections of the facility appeared to have completely burned down. Xinhua said the cause of the fire was unclear.
"I was in my bed at the time. Suddenly, I saw a worker run out of a room on fire, and he shouted 'Run, run' to me, so I dashed out," Guo Xin, 78, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
Another survivor, 82-year-old Zhao Yulan, said only two of the 11 people living in her room made it out alive, Xinhua reported. Some of the remains of people killed in the fire were burned beyond recognition, the news agency said.
The fire destroyed a part of the home housing people who are completely dependent on others for care.
At least 12 people connected to the home have been taken into custody by the police, Xinhua reported today.
Xinhua said the 12 included the legal representative of the home and that police were searching for another three employees.
A Section on 05/27/2015