By: Ryann Rodney
Flames flooded the upper floors of an apartment building in Xinjiang after a power strip caught fire in one of the apartments. The deadly fire has caused outrage in northwestern China and caused a nationwide outcry. High-rise apartments burned a delayed response, and ten people are now dead, including three children. And the only thing to blame is China’s zero covid policy.
Videos on social media showed fire trucks parked far from the building and spraying water which couldn’t reach the flames. This raised the question of if zero covid policies caused the limitations preventing the trucks from getting closer to the burning building.
On November 25th, 2022, residents gathered outside a government building and protested by holding a Chinese flag and shouting that lockdowns should be lifted. The city's mayor apologized and promised the fire would be investigated. On the same day, leaders from the fire department denied that covid policies have anything to do with the delay and limitations. The official response sparked online outrage, with citizens blaming the government’s zero covid policies.
Overall, frustrations over the mismanagement of covid restrictions in China have caused citizens to turn to protest. Earlier this month, authorities announced that restrictions would be eased. However, covid cases spiked right after, causing cities to confine citizens to their homes, driving restrictions to harshen back up.
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