A spectacular fire devastated Changsha, the capital of Hunan, the Lotus Garden, a tower of the state-owned telephone giant China Telecom.
In about an hour, in the early afternoon, the 42-story, 218-meter-high building transformed into a flaming torch enveloped in thick, black smoke.
The flames, according to the preliminary reconstructions provided by the firefighters, were reported at 3.48 pm local time (9.48 am in Italy), while the state network CCTV gave an account of the accident at national level, indicating that the number of possible victims or injured was "currently unknown": a circumstance that has not been officially clarified even late in the evening.
"From the site - reported the CCTV - a thick smoke comes out, while the flames have developed in several dozen floors".
The first images confirmed an apocalyptic scenario and firefighters were mobilized on the spot, "who began to work to put out the flames and allow rescuers to intervene".
The videos disseminated by both the network and amateur social media showed the building, home to the offices of China Telecom and the Internet and mobile telephone antenna systems, with the exterior completely charred at least in its upper part.
While in another, dozens of people were seen fleeing the structure amidst burning debris falling from the upper floors.
China Telecom stated that "around 4:30 pm (10:30 am in Italy), the fire at our communication tower 2, in Changsha, was put out. No victims have been discovered yet and communications are not been interrupted ", even though many users of the city, which has over 8 million inhabitants, have complained about problems with mobile telephony and the internet.
The building was completed in 2000, near an important road junction in the city, and was considered to be in conditions of full usability.
About 280 firefighters and 36 heavy fire-fighting vehicles, mobilized from 17 stations in the city and province, intervened at the site of the disaster, according to the local fire brigade command.
Investigations have also started to clarify the causes of a type of disaster that in China usually has very heavy budgets due to the poor application of safety regulations.
In July 2021, for example, state media reported a fire in a warehouse in the northeastern province of Jilin which killed at least 15 people and injured 25 others. (ANSA).
