At least 20 people confirmed dead after Chinese nursing home blaze

At least 20 people were killed in a nursing home fire at Chengde in the northern province of Hebei on Tuesday night, according to Chinese state media reports.

The fire broke out at around 9pm on Tuesday at the home in a seniors’ residential complex in Chengde’s Longhua county. As of 3am on Wednesday, there were 20 confirmed fatalities, state news agency Xinhua said.

Hebei police said the person in charge of the nursing home has been detained for investigation. Local and provincial authorities have also sent dedicated teams to comfort the families of the deceased and wounded.