Chinese Highrise Engulfed in Flames

Posted by Alex in Video Clips on February 10, 2009 at 3:11 am


This is a surreal and gruesome yet fascinating sight: a massive fire engulfing the newly built 40-story Mandarin Oriental hotel in the CCTV Complex in Beijing. You can watch the top of the building exploding as fire consumes the entire structure.

CNN has an article compiling first-hand reports from its citizen reporters:

The blaze erupted in the final hours of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration as people set off fireworks across the city.

Xinhua reported that Beijing residents were supposed to stop selling and lighting fireworks by midnight. iReporter de Villeneuve said she
suspects many people in the city were trying to use whatever remaining fireworks they had before the deadline.

"We have been seeing fireworks for the past two weeks. I have to say this is quite a surprise," she said.

iReporter Rice said he was watching fireworks nearby when he noticed that fireworks were being set off near the buildings.

"Then we looked closer and saw the flames come from the top of the building," Rice said. "Soon became apparent that the building was on fire."

Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]


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COMMENT

14 comments to "Chinese Highrise Engulfed in Flames"

  1. darlzwik
    February 10th, 2009 at 5:44 am

    And all it took to bring down WTC 1, 2, and 7 into their own footprints was less than an hour of smoldering fire. I guess they build them better in China. Hmmm...

  2. eosha
    February 10th, 2009 at 9:25 am

    I live just down the street from this building. With all the fireworks and general commotion last night, I didn't see or hear a thing. Hell of a surprise this morning, though.

  3. CountryCritter
    February 10th, 2009 at 9:30 am

    Wow. I hope the surrounding buildings are okay, that fire was enormous!!

  4. IDIDWTC
    February 10th, 2009 at 11:08 am

    Were the Chinese using plane-sized fireworks and firing them into the building?

  5. JMM
    February 10th, 2009 at 11:13 am

    Yeah, I'm guessing that a 747 full of aviation fuel burns a bit hotter than a firecracker does.

    But I'm no forensic engineer like Rosie O'Donnell, so I don't know...

  6. Willo the Wisp
    February 10th, 2009 at 11:14 am

    It never takes long for the nuts to come out. Look and laugh at all the WTC conspiracy freaks on the YouTube comments!

  7. DBinNYC
    February 10th, 2009 at 11:19 am

    Where's Stev McQueen when you need him?
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072308/

  8. reuben
    February 10th, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    I wonder if the building fell down.

    "It never takes long for the nuts to come out. Look and laugh at all the WTC conspiracy freaks on the YouTube comments!"

    Funny how this is the best argument you can come up with...

  9. darlzwik
    February 10th, 2009 at 2:47 pm

    Ad homonym attacks are for people without a real argument.

  10. artbot
    February 10th, 2009 at 3:33 pm

    I guess the country that invented gunpowder is still a little behind on modern fire-suppression equipment for high-rises.

  11. lumberjack
    February 10th, 2009 at 5:45 pm

    Ad homonym attacks are for people traumatized by homonyms when they were young.

  12. Johnny Cat
    February 10th, 2009 at 6:11 pm

    LOL lumberjack!

  13. The Slapster
    February 10th, 2009 at 10:09 pm

    Now, there's no need to go dragging "alternative" lifestyles into this story, lumberjack!

  14. the truth
    February 20th, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    willow you must be a bushy,you trust everything that idiot bush had to lie about WTC .


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