Overview

• A fire broke out at a nursing home in Chengde’s Longhua county, Hebei province, on Tuesday, April 9, 2025, at approximately 9pm, killing 20 people and injuring 19 others.
• The injured have been hospitalized for treatment and observation, while local and provincial authorities have deployed teams to support victims' families and manage post-incident efforts.
• The nursing home administrator has been detained by Hebei police as part of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire.
• China’s Emergency Management Ministry has reiterated the need for strict adherence to updated fire safety regulations introduced in July 2023 to prevent such tragedies.
• This incident underscores recurring fire safety lapses in public facilities, particularly those serving vulnerable populations, amidst broader concerns about regulatory enforcement.