Videos show firetrucks parked at a distance from the blaze in Urumqi, leading to questions about whether China's coronavirus restrictions worsened the tragedy.
The delayed emergency response to a deadly fire has sparked protests calling for an end to months of lockdowns in Xinjiangthe tightly controlled region of northwestern China, and fueled nationwide resentment at the excessive restrictions of the country’s “zero-covid” policy.Flames engulfed the upper floors of a high-rise apartment block in downtown Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital, on Thursday evening, killing ten, including three children, and leaving nine in hospital from inhaling smoke.
Videos from the scene shared on Chinese social media platforms showed firetrucks parked at a distance from the building and spraying water that fell short of the blaze, leading to questions about whether coronavirus-fighting restrictions on movement worsened the tragedy. On Friday night, Urumqi residents carrying China’s national flag gathered outside a local government building chanting for lockdowns to be lifted, according to widely circulated videos on social media app WeChat. The Washington Post could not immediately verify the authenticity of the clips.The city’s mayor apologized and promised an investigation into the causes of the fire at a news conference on Friday evening.
The official response failed to dampen online anger, with many continuing to blame the government’s strict “zero-covid” policy. Critics took issue with the official assessment that some residents “lacked the ability to protect and save themselves,” saying it was inappropriate for authorities to shift blame to the victims, and argued that centralized quarantine policies had caused vehicles to be abandoned on the street.
Frustrations over mismanaged and arbitrary coronavirus restrictions have escalated into protests across China this week. Authorities earlier this month announced that testing and quarantine requirements would be relaxed. But a record number of cases soon afterward prompted many major cities to confine millions at home, crushing
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