On February 9, 2009 a fire destroyed the new Mandarin Oriental hotel in Beijing, which was still under construction. Local residents who were busy celebrating the Lantern Festival with fireworks, took time away from their traditional festivities to enjoy the spectacle. Many onlookers took photos and were photographed smiling at the blaze.
One person died and seven others were injured.
More story and photos at Fire claims building at CCTV Beijing headquarters
Sphere: Related ContentChina’s deadly earthquake on May 12 was a tragedy. It is already reported that over 50,000 people lost their lives. Now that rescue efforts are winding down attention is turning to other matters. In a country where families are only allowed to have one child, many are asking why so many schools collapsed. Some disturbing things are emerging.
The Washington Post reports in: Schools Fell While Other Buildings Held
Since the quake, parents’ grief has turned to anger.
Why, they ask, did the school collapse when other nearby buildings, including government offices, the teachers’ dormitory and even an old classroom building housing pet rabbits, withstood the quake?
The same question is being asked all over Sichuan, as residents have started to notice that, on street after street, schools collapsed while most government buildings did not. In Mianzhu county, a quarter of the 43 primary and secondary schools caved in, leaving more than 1,000 students dead, while the gleaming government complex remained fully operational and is now a staging area for emergency rescue and cleanup operations.
In total, nearly 7,000 schools have been reported destroyed in Sichuan by the quake; that figure could rise as reconstruction crews reach the hardest-hit areas.
The earthquake was a devastating tragedy. Sadly, it reveals a few unpleasant things about safety and where priorities were not in good alignment.
Sphere: Related Content