Directly at the scene of the fire accident in Xinyu, Jiangxi: the aftermath work was carried out in an orderly manner
A particularly serious fire accident occurred on the afternoon of the 24th in a street-facing store in Jialeyuan Community, Tiangong South Avenue, Yushui District, Xinyu City, Jiangxi Province, killing 39 people and injuring 9 people.
Jialeyuan Community, where the incident occurred, is located at a T-shaped intersection. On the street side, there are more than ten shops such as Internet cafes, training institutions, restaurants, and hotels. According to videos and pictures taken by witnesses at the scene that day, thick black smoke filled the air from bottom to top, and someone escaped through the second-floor window.
When a reporter from China News Service arrived near the accident site on the evening of the 24th, temporary traffic control was implemented on the surrounding roads, a large number of rescue vehicles were parked on the roadside, and rescuers were working on the aftermath.
Officials issued a notice on the 25th saying that the cold storage renovation was being carried out on the underground floor of the store where the incident occurred. The fire broke out due to illegal construction by construction workers, and thick smoke poured into the second floor through the corridor. The second floor is a training institution called “Game Education Consulting” and a hotel. The trapped people are mainly students participating in educational consulting training and hotel guests.
Nearly 24 hours have passed since the accident occurred. Traffic control has been lifted near the shops along the street in Jialeyuan Community, and vehicles are flowing continuously. The outside of the store building where the fire broke out was blackened by thick smoke, and the outdoor air conditioner was hanging down.
A resident of Jialeyuan Community recalled to reporters that on the afternoon of the incident, she was at home and saw billowing black smoke through the window “engulfing” the gate of the community. She hurriedly ran outside in her pajamas, and the sirens of fire trucks and ambulances were honking outside. It kept ringing, “I didn’t see an open flame, but the smoke was very big and black, and the smell was very pungent.”
The reporter saw on the morning of the 25th that the shops at the accident site had been cordoned off, and the surrounding shops were gradually returning to business. When referring to the scene of the incident, nearby residents and witnesses kept emphasizing that they had “never seen such black smoke.”
Xu Hong, mayor of Xinyu City, Jiangxi Province, said at a press conference on the 25th that 12 relevant responsible personnel are currently under police investigation. “We are mobilizing resources from all parties to do a good job in the aftermath of the victims and comforting their families.”