Feb 09 2009
Beijing Hotel Fire, Set Ablaze By Fireworks
An unfinished luxury hotel in Beijing has caught fire Monday after sparks from nearby fireworks displays reigned down on the half-completed property.
The hotel is located next door to China Central Television’s landmark headquarters, situated in the heart of downtown Beijing.
The luxury hotel, the Mandarin Oriental hotel, apparently caught fire in the evening as the skies above the city were filled with celebratory fireworks that were part of the lantern festival, a celebration following the Lunar New Year.
Eye witnesses reported seeing the 44-story building catch fire after sparks from a nearby firework showered the building, but the cause of the fire is still not known.
Erik Amir a senior architect at building designers OMA said the fire had destroyed years of hard work.
“It really has been a rough six-seven years for architects who worked on this project,” said Amir, who rushed to the site after hearing of the fire.
“I think it’s really sad that this building is destroyed before it can be opened to the public,” he said.- AP news
