Hotel Used for Coronavirus Quarantine Collapses in China, Leaving 70 Trapped

STR/AFP via Getty Images
STR/AFP via Getty Images

A hotel being used for the medical observation of people who have had contact with known patients of the coronavirus collapsed in southeastern China, trapping at least 70 people.

The collapse happened in the city of Quanzhou, in southeastern Fujian Province, shortly after 7 p.m. local time, CNBC reported.

Thirty-four people were rescued within the first two hours.

NBC News reported that there were no immediate reports of deaths.

“I was at a gas station and heard a loud noise. I looked up, and the whole building collapsed. Dust was everywhere, and glass fragments were flying around,” a witness said in a video posted on the Miaopai streaming app, according to CNBC.

Sky News reported that the hotel was one of two quarantine hotels used for people who have had close contact with people who have tested positive for coronavirus.

The five-story Xinjia Express Hotel opened in April 2018.

More than 100,000 people have been infected with coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University, and health experts are encouraging people to practice routine hand-washing to prevent COVID-19.

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