Collapse of Siji Kaiyuan Hotel
  Location of the hotel in Jiangsu | |
| Date | 12 July 2021 |
|---|---|
| Time | 15:33 (CST, UTC+8) |
| Location | 188 Youche Road, Songling, Suzhou, Jiangsu |
| Coordinates | 31°10′14″N 120°39′13″E / 31.170552°N 120.653564°E |
| Cause | Overloading resulting from illegal construction |
| Deaths | 17 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 5 |
Siji Kaiyuan Hotel (Chinese: 四季开源酒店) was a hotel in Songling, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. On 12 July 2021, an annex to the hotel collapsed due to illegal construction, killing 17 people and injuring another five.[1]
Background[edit]
Nearby merchants said that the collapsed building was very old and was being renovated. The first floor was the main hall, which was used to open a hotel, and the second and third floors were used for accommodation.
Collapse[edit]
At 15:33 on 12 July 2021, an annex to the Siji Kaiyuan Hotel suddenly collapsed.[2][3]
Rescue[edit]
After the collapse, Jiangsu Fire Brigade sent six heavy rescue teams, five light rescue teams, five search and rescue dogs, more than 120 fire engines and 650 soldiers to rescue the victims.[4] Lou Qinjian, party chief of CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, and Wu Zhenglong, governor of Jiangsu, issued instructions, demanding scientific organization of search and rescue, full treatment of the wounded, minimizing casualties and preventing secondary disasters. Wu Zhenglong, Fan Jinlong and the main leaders of Suzhou and Wujiang District rushed to the scene to organize and command the rescue at the first time.[5] The Ministry of Emergency Management and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development send working groups to the scene to guide the rescue work.
On July 13, Lou Qinjian, the top political position in the province, rushed to the scene to command rescue and disposal work.[6]
At 9:00 on July 14, the search and rescue work ended. A total of 23 people were rescued, one of them returned home uninjured, five were injured and 17 were killed.[4]
Investigation[edit]
A preliminary investigation found the collapse was caused by the owner altering the structure of the building. On 13 July 2021, the actual controller of the hotel has been taken away for investigation by local police.
See also[edit]
- Collapse of Xinjia Express Hotel - A similar collapse in 2020 resulting from illegal construction-induced overloading.
- Collapse of Juxian Restaurant
References[edit]
- ^ "Hotel collapse in China's Suzhou kills 17, injures five". BBC. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Rescuers search for survivors after hotel collapse in tourist destination of Suzhou, China". usatoday.com. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ He Zhongfu (何中夫) (12 July 2021). 江苏苏州吴江区一酒店发生倒塌事故 有人员被困. sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ a b Shi Yunqian (史韫倩) (14 July 2021). 苏州酒店坍塌事故搜救结束 共致17人死亡. sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Zhang Yu (张玉) (12 July 2021). 揪心！苏州一酒店倒塌，省长赶赴现场指挥救援. sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Chen Yan (陈琰) (13 July 2021). 江苏省委书记娄勤俭赴救援现场：坚持生命至上 全力救援救治. sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 14 July 2021.