The deadly fire in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province killed 20 people, according to the local government on Sunday afternoon in its second press conference, saying another body was found in debris earlier in the day.
The Harbin city government held the second press conference on August 26, 2018, in the wake of the deadly fire. /CGTN Photo
The Harbin First Hospital received 20 of the 23 injured from the fire on the early morning of August 25. The hospital is the closest to the Taiyang Dao facility, or Sun Island Park, site of the disaster.
That's where CGTN met three seniors who had traveled together from Beijing to northeast China. As the 72-year-old patient recalled, the stop at the hotel should have been the last destination before wrapping up his nine-day tour.
Doctors treating the injured from the deadly fire at the emergency intensive care unit of Harbin First Hospital on August 26, 2018 /CGTN Photo
"I woke up at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday and happened to see the thick smoke. We called the police instantly and covered our mouths with wet towels to avoid the smoke."
Smoke inhalation is said to be the main cause of the 23 injuries from the disaster, while burns and fractures are also being treated in three local hospitals in Harbin. This is the second day that these patients are receiving hyperbaric oxygen treatment in the chamber at the Harbin First Hospital. And they said it’s been quite effective.
“I felt much better after the two days of treatment in the chamber, plus all the other care and treatment we received from inside the emergency intensive care unit,” said the patient.
Medical staff at the hospital are racing against the clock to treat the injured, saying the challenge is that some injured being treated had some underlying health issues.
The second day for the patients to receive hyperbaric oxygen treatment in the chamber at the Harbin First Hospital. /CGTN Photo
“We received the emergency call at around 6 a.m. on Saturday and launched our emergency responses including special treatment, personal care and mental health interventions. Currently, we are treating 20 injured and all are in stable condition both physically and mentally. But we still need at least another five to seven days to observe their situation,” said Liu Yuehong, deputy superintendent of the hospital.
Meanwhile, a group of medical experts have began special treatment on these injured as well.