Fire in Beijing

[xinhui]

Project manager captured.



大火涉及严重责任事故 央视内部人心惶惶

中央电视台新址附属楼大火2月9日燃烧近六小时后，2月10日凌晨被扑灭，大火造成一名消防员殉职，另七人 受伤。有央视员工称，由于大火涉及严重责任事故，央视内部备受压力，预料“有些高层将被处分”。现任中央电 视台台长是60岁的赵化勇，他出掌央视已经九年。

　　2009年的第一场大火，烧在京城标志性建筑、俗称“大裤衩”的央视身上，震惊中央，中共中央宣传部长 刘云山和北京市委书记刘淇都赶往现场。

　　当局证实是央视建设工程办公室的负责人，不理警方劝阻，擅自雇用烟花公司，燃放违禁的“礼花弹”所致， 涉案的央视建设工程办主任徐威（副局级）已被警方带走调查，央视则发表声明“真诚道歉”。

　　央视2月10日发表声明，对火灾给国家财产造成严重损失，电视台深感痛心，给周边居民造成交通拥堵和生 活不便，电视台表示“真诚道歉”。

　　起火的央视文化中心大楼（文华东方酒店），尚未正式投入使用，也没有通过消防验收。总部位于香港的文华 东方酒店集团表示，北京文华东方酒店原计划今年夏季启用，但现在看来开业时间只能延期。

　　北京市消防局副局长骆原表示，前晚八时许，业主单位（央视新台址建设工程办公室）聘用湖南浏阳三湘烟花 爆竹公司人员，在大楼西南角空地上燃放“礼花弹”，庆祝元宵，吸引一些民众聚集在京广桥附近观 看。

　　约半小时后，礼花弹的火舌引燃文化中心大楼。大火首先从楼顶烧起来，在短时间内沿外墙蔓延开来。当时大 楼内空无一人，当局出动八十五辆消防车、近六百名消防员赶赴现场。

　　在扑救期间，首批进入火场的七名消防员因吸引浓烟送院，其中消防员张建勇深入火场内部搜救人员时，因吸 入大量有毒气体而殉职。

　　骆原说，大火于2月10日凌晨2时全部扑灭。火场面积达十多万平方米，大楼西、南、东侧外墙受损严重， 楼内十几层的中庭已经坍塌，位于楼内南侧演播大厅的数码机房被烧毁，但未造成主体结构损坏。

　　消防员在大楼附近发现上百个礼花弹桶。骆原说，“从遗留物品来看，这些礼花弹都属于A类烟花（最高危险 级别），是北京市明令禁止燃放的产品。燃放时，曾有治安民警进行劝阻，然而业主单位执意燃放。相关录像数据 都可以成为最终追究责任的有利证据，目前相关人员和物证已被警方控制。”北京环卫集团应急队伍共清除废弃物 污水四十余吨， 火灾现场目前已清理完毕。
cctv.jpg

[xinhui]

Today's CCTV

[snowhole]

　　约半小时后，礼花弹的火舌引燃文化中心大楼。大火首先从楼顶烧起来，在短时间内沿外墙蔓延 开来。

This description makes it clear that it is the outer skin material of the building that helps the fire spread so fast. A steel-concrete structure couldn't be that flammable (fire consumed the whole building within minutes); Shanghai World Financial Center, Taipei 101, and a skyscraper in Madrid (I don't remember the name though) all experienced fire started at a very high altitude. None of those three buildings burned so bad, in fact, property loss was at minimum in those 3 cases.

And I wonder how exactly the police had advised CCTV not to launch those dangerous things? If it is an advice, either the receiver take it or not is ok. But this thing (that you could not launch such big fireworks in the urban area) is legislation. Why the heck don't they tell them it's illegal and forbidden instead of 'advise'? I really don't get it.

[Guest]

China's CCTV network gets little sympathy after hotel fire




Alexander F. Yuan / Associated Press
Fire engulfed this building in CCTV’s new headquarters complex in Beijing. It was to house the Mandarin Oriental hotel.


[COLOR=#333333! important]Public anger had been simmering over the TV network's spending and government-slanted news coverage. The fire at the Mandarin Oriental site in Beijing offers an outlet for the rage.[/color]
[COLOR=#999999! important]By Peter Spiegel
February 11, 2009 [/color]
Reporting from Beijing -- Even before it was revealed Tuesday that an unauthorized fireworks display organized by China Central Television caused the spectacular fire that destroyed one of Beijing's new glass-and-steel landmarks, the state-run broadcaster was already the subject of its own firestorm on the Internet.

The inferno at CCTV's new, still-unoccupied headquarters complex laid bare simmering anger and resentment toward the network both for spending public money on grand construction projects and for continuing to broadcast government propaganda.



"As long as there aren't any injuries, let it burn. They don't need so many buildings [in]the first place," wrote one typical anonymous poster at the popular news portal Sohu.com. "CCTV enjoys too much luxury already. They will always have enough buildings, even though this building is down."

Jeremy Goldkorn, editor of a website that tracks Chinese media, said that among China's young, educated and urban, the stodgy network has long been a subject of ridicule, both for its low production values and its propagandistic news coverage.

But the fire -- which engulfed what was to be the Mandarin Oriental hotel, a dramatic, angular tower that stands next to the now-iconic CCTV building -- provided a new touchstone for critics, prompting the government to move quickly to mute the outrage.


By Tuesday morning, Beijing's propaganda ministry had ordered all Chinese news media to stop reporting their own versions of the fire story and to use only the account provided by the official New China News Agency.

Newspapers were told not to use photos of the fire, or to do any in-depth reporting.

A similar notice went out to news websites, which were told to shut down blogs and discussion groups on the subject.

"Many people were very happy and rejoiced at the fire. Some said it's good that it burned," said Li Datong, a former editor at the Communist Party newspaper China Youth Daily, who was fired three years ago for criticizing government censorship. "The government isn't happy with these kinds of emotions, so they strictly controlled all reports."

Many websites quickly deleted critical postings, but the government's blunt tools were unable to completely stem the deluge.

One independent blogger named Zola posted an online poll in which 30% supported the statement "I hate CCTV, not just for this day. It has been fooling us for many years. It's definitely good for it to be self-immolated."

Forty-three percent supported a more subdued view, expressing sadness for the loss of state property.

In the afternoon, CCTV took the rare step of issuing a public apology for the fire, saying it was "deeply distressed" by the damage to state property and the disruptions caused to those living and working near the complex.

"CCTV expresses its sincere apology," the network said in a letter read on air by an anchor.

Beijing authorities said an investigation was underway, including a review of CCTV's own videotapes of the incident. The network said it would cooperate.

According to city fire officials, the blaze erupted after CCTV's large-scale fireworks display, for which government permission had not been obtained, erupted into a fireball, sending flames down the face of the asymmetrical building.

State-run news media on Tuesday also released more information about the lone person to die, 30-year-old firefighter Zhang Jianyong. He was among the first on the scene and died of smoke and gas inhalation, the media reported. Five other firefighters and one CCTV employee were injured, but hospital officials told the state-run media that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

Witnesses said firefighters arrived long after the blaze began and did little to battle it until it reached the lower floors because they lacked equipment to reach the upper stories.

In its apology, CCTV appeared to lay the blame on a mid-level official responsible for the site's management, who hired the fireworks company for Monday night's show.

The display was timed for the close of the Lunar New Year.

Fireworks are normally banned in the capital, but they are allowed for the New Year festival, and the skies of Beijing were aglow Monday night

Source:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,6561766.story

[Guest]

The CCTV fire also triggered heated debates whether fireworks display should be banned nor not on the Internet forums.

2009年02月11日 07:09:01 　来源：中国新闻网


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元宵节之夜，位于北京市东三环央视新址大楼配楼发生火灾，据称是由于燃放烟花爆竹所致，不少网民在网上开始 讨论北京是否该重新禁止燃放烟花爆竹。

火灾发生十几个钟头，单是一家大型网站论坛就有三十五万人对此事件发表评论，并贴发相关照片；而另一家大型 网站的调查显示，约百分之六十八的人认为应该禁止燃放烟花，百分之十八的人反对禁放，百分之十三的人认为可 有可无，还有百分之一左右的人对“花钱买点火刹那间的快感”不关注。

北京的一位网民认为，燃放烟花是有喜庆的一面，但北京人口密集，带来的危险会明显升高；同时，燃放烟花还会 造成环境污染，消耗大量的财力，有禁放的必要，可搞一些无公害、安全的有声有色。山东的一位网友也认为庆贺 新年和元宵，应该换一种喜庆且比较安全的仪式。

禁放固然就安全了，但反对禁放的人则认为，如此一来节日气氛会大打折扣，并且认为燃放烟花已成传统，文化不 能硬性削割。


有百分之十三的网民认为禁不禁无所谓，但必须“两手抓”，既要规范烟花制造业，又要让燃放者有自保、环保意 识和防患意识，选择安全的燃放烟花方式。

今年是北京市烟花爆竹“禁改限”的第四个春节。据悉，从除夕零时至正月初五二十二时，北京全市因燃放烟花爆 竹引发火情一百零三起，受伤四百零三人。 (桂瑰)


2月9日21时许，北京市京广桥附近的央视新大楼北配楼发生火灾。新华社记者 李文摄

[Guest]

刘淇就央视新楼火灾表态：暴露漏洞 汲取教训
2009年02月11日 10:26人民网【大 中 小】 【打印】

中央电视台新址园区在建的附属文化中心工地发生火灾后，本市昨天紧急召开全市安全工作会议。市委书记刘淇强 调，要深刻汲取这次火灾的惨痛教训，按照科学发展观的要求严格落实安全责任制，做到“真正落实、经常落实、 处处落实”，迅速在全市开展安全大检查、大整改，狠抓“平安北京”各项工作的落实，全力维护首都安全稳定。 市委副书记、市长郭金龙，市委副书记王安顺出席会议。

会上，副市长黄卫通报了火灾扑救有关情况。经有关部门初步调查，火灾是由工地现场内业主单位的人不听民警劝 阻，执意违法燃放烟花造成的，随即引起大楼的顶层起火。事故具体原因正在进一步调查中。

郭金龙在讲话中说，这场火灾给了我们深刻的教训，我们必须进一步提高认识，不断夯实工作基础，一刻也不松懈 地把安全工作抓紧抓好。要进一步提高对维护首都安全稳定极端重要性的认识，进一步提高对安全生产面临的新形 势、新任务、新挑战的认识，始终保持清醒头脑，坚决克服侥幸心理和麻痹思想，全力维护首都安全稳定和社会祥 和。

郭金龙要求，要举一反三，全面开展安全工作大检查。一是要针对全市近110天没有降水，天气寒冷干燥容易引 发火灾等情况，以火灾防控薄弱场所、地区为重点，再次集中开展消防安全检查。尤其是今天起已进入烟花爆竹禁 放期，各项管理措施要格外加强落实。二是要针对近期煤气中毒、交通事故接连发生的情况，加大宣传教育力度， 提高市民安全意识和素质。三是要加大对人员密集场所和管理薄弱地区的安全检查，督促落实安全责任和措施。四 是要以煤矿、非煤矿山、建筑施工、危险化学品储存运输等高危行业和领域为重点，全面排查生产安 全隐患。

郭金龙强调，要严格落实责任，加大检查监督力度，切实抓好宣传教育活动，严防死守，坚决杜绝安全事故隐患漏 洞。同时要迅速查明火灾原因，分析鉴定事故对工程造成的影响，做好这次火灾事故的善后工作。

刘淇在讲话中指出，“平安北京”首先是属地责任，从北京市严格管理和落实安全责任看，这次火灾暴露出我们在 安全管理方面还存在漏洞，需要改进。第一，安全工作的监督力度还不够大，严格管理执法的狠劲不够。第二，当 前我们正处于城市快速发展的时期，在建工程多，高层建筑多，要研究新时期消防工作的规律。第三，北京城市高 层建筑迅速发展，必须有相应的消防措施跟上去。在迎接新中国成立60周年的关键时刻，全市都要把安全工作放 在第一责任的位置，头脑中安全这根弦要绷得紧而又紧，工作中安全的措施要细而又细，监管上的力度要强而又强 ，确保人民生命财产安全。要协调和摆正发展与安全的关系，解决“管不了、发现不了、有灾救不了”的薄弱环节 ，提升消防安全能力，为“平安北京”扎实工作。

刘淇强调，要按照科学发展观的要求狠抓安全责任制。各区县、各部门领导都要切实担负起确保安全的政治责任， 凡是涉及安全的工作，“一把手”都要亲自抓、负总责；要层层分解、细化任务，把确保安全的责任落实到每个人 、每个环节；要建立健全最严格的安全问责制度，有效防范、全力遏制重特大安全事故的发生。从现在开始，要立 即在消防、交通、地铁、生产和食品药品安全等领域组织全市性安全大检查，做好大型活动的现场安全工作，确保 万无一失。要加强对高层建筑消防能力的建设和整改，完善高楼已有设施的定期测试，建立政府专项增加消防装备 ，通过科技创新提高消防能力。要加大安全执法监督检查力度，依法严查违反安全法律法规的行为，严肃处理重大 事故的责任者。

刘淇强调，狠抓“平安北京”各项工作，一要实现真正落实，任何单位和个人不能以任何理由阻挡落实安全责任； 二要实现经常落实，在重大活动中一以贯之地落实安全责任；三要实现处处落实，不留任何管理的空白点和安全隐 患。要深刻汲取事故的教训，立即增强高层消防能力、施工工地消防能力，妥善处理复工问题，做好事故的各项善 后工作，通过艰苦努力，实现保增长、保民生、保稳定的任务，以优异成绩迎接新中国成立60周年 。

市领导蔡赴朝、吉林、马振川、李士祥、刘敬民、苟仲文、夏占义，市政府秘书长黎晓宏出席会议。（记者汤一原 ）
http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/speci..._1005811.shtml

[Officer of Engineers]

Gentlemen, English forum here. Do the coutesy of at least a brief summary.

[Parihaka]

It's a testament to the architects and builders that it's still standing

[xinhui]

yup, heads will roll, baby.


China prosecutors probe television complex blaze
Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:19pm EST

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BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese prosecutors are probing a blaze that partly destroyed Beijing's hypermodern state television headquarters and hotel complex, with suspects placed "under control," an official newspaper reported.

The Procuratorial Daily, the newspaper of the state prosecution and anti-graft agency, said on Wednesday that officials who investigate dereliction of duty were probing the blaze that was sparked by an unlicensed fireworks display by Central China Television (CCTV).

Citing unnamed sources it said "suspects and evidence have been placed under police control." It did not specify who was under investigation or for what offences.

The fire began on Monday evening, sparked by a fireworks display organized by CCTV, destroying a 30-storey building just north of the spectacular, gravity-defying CCTV tower designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.

The 30-storey building was home to the near-completed Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which had been due to open this year.

CCTV has apologized for staging unlicensed fireworks for employees and guests.

The fire swept quickly through the side building in part because of lack of water, the report said.

"The hoses of the firetrucks could not reach the rooftop, and there were no water supplies inside the building."

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Nick Macfie)

[xinhui]

wife of the fallen firefighter.

[xinhui]

their wedding photo

[snowhole]

May he rest in peace. :(

[Guest]

北京消防员追悼会举行 央视台长与名主持送行2009年02月15日 08:39京华时报【大 中 小】 【打印】

[snowhole]

And I wonder how exactly the police had advised CCTV not to launch those dangerous things? If it is an advice, either the receiver take it or not is ok. But this thing (that you could not launch such big fireworks in the urban area) is legislation. Why the heck don't they tell them it's illegal and forbidden instead of 'advise'? I really don't get it.

Alright... It turns out the police has already stopped them from setting off fireworks 3 times before this tragedy.

http://www.zaobao.com/zg/zg090215_503.shtml

[Guest]