Death toll in Shanghai skyscraper blaze hits 42

[Wretched Excess]

Death toll in skyscraper blaze hits 42

 SHANGHAI, China — Flames engulfed a high-rise apartment building in Shanghai on Monday, killing 42 people, injuring dozens more and forcing some residents to jump from their windows to escape, according to reports.

The building in the Jing'an District of the Chinese city was being renovated when a fire broke out at 2 p.m. local time (1 a.m. ET), the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xinhua said the flames quickly spread from scaffolding to the skyscraper, which housed many retired teachers.

The fire appeared to have been put out about six hours later, and firefighters could be seen removing bodies from the building.

The death toll was initially put at at least eight and 90 others were said to have been injured, but later Xinhua reported that 42 people had been killed.

More

[Wretched Excess]

that is one horrific fire.  you can't help but wonder how something like that got started, and how (I assume) a basically cement structure got turned into that smoking heap of barely standing rubble.

[Wretched Excess]

a little more info.

Beijing, China (CNN) -- A fire at a high-rise building in Shanghai killed at least 42 people and injured more than 90 on Monday, China's state media said.

The 28-story building was under renovation when it went up in flames, the Xinhua news agency said.

Witnesses said a scaffolding caught fire, and flames then spread to the building.

Firefighters rescued more than 100 residents from the burning building. The building houses 150 families, the news agency said.
.
.
.
Officials do not yet know the cause of the fire. But local media reports quoted residents as saying fire prevention measures had been lax since renovations began a month ago, and that workers frequently threw their cigarette butts into the hallways.

More

[ColonialMarine0431]

Without a doubt, being trapped in a burning skyscraper is one of the worse ways to die. You have 3 options: Burn to death, die from smoke inhalation, or jump.

[Ptarmigan]

Without a doubt, being trapped in a burning skyscraper is one of the worse ways to die. You have 3 options: Burn to death, die from smoke inhalation, or jump.

It is the worst fire to deal with. Just look at 9/11. Many people jumped from the burning tower because their survival instinct was in control to escape the heat and smoke. Some people burned to death, especially in the crash zone and elevators.

[JLO]

Burning to death is a big fear for me.  I have survived three home fire instances. 

The first one was as a kid, when my Grandma had a kitchen incident and I was upstairs and didn't know anything at all until the fire trucks came!  The second threat was as a newlywed, our wood stove pipe was not connected securely.  I woke up, luckily, choking to death and opened windows right away.

The third time an attached garage fire when the car's ashtray got emptied in the garbage!  Man, that was the worst!  Lost the entire garage and contents, including 2 cars.  I had nightmares for quite awhile.  We had to live in a hotel. 

Fire scares me beyond anything.  I would never live in a high-rise.  Those poor folks.

[littlelamb]

What a sad awful way to die prayers for the families effected

[Chris_]

Shanghai fire probe finds bogus deals, cut corners

Associated Press

I'm shocked.