China, COVID-19 Quarantine Facility Collapse... 70 Buried

"No Korean Victims"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] A hotel being used as a quarantine facility for COVID-19 in Fujian Province, China, collapsed, burying about 70 people.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 8th, a hotel in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, collapsed around 7:30 PM the previous evening.

At the time of the collapse, about 70 people were inside the hotel, and by 10 PM the previous night, rescue authorities had saved a total of 34 people from the collapsed building. The cause of the building collapse has not yet been determined.

This place was originally a regular hotel, but the city government was using it as a facility to quarantine and observe people coming from other regions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The hotel has a total of 80 rooms and opened in June 2018.

There have been no reported Korean casualties so far. The Korean Embassy in China stated, "There have been no confirmed Korean casualties yet," and added, "Four Koreans are quarantined in Quanzhou, but they are staying in a facility other than the collapsed hotel."

Police and fire authorities are continuing rescue operations at the site.