In the early morning of May 24, 2026, a sudden fire broke out in a store in Qidong County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province, causing 5 deaths and 1 injury. This is the second fatal fire in Hengyang City within 12 days.
The fire occurred at 00:45 on May 24, 2026, at a street-front store in Shangzheng Community, Qidong County, Hengyang City.
Footage from the scene shows the entire store engulfed in flames, with fierce fire.
Many Chinese netizens have questioned why there are so many fires in China.
This fatal accident is another tragedy in Hengyang City following the fire at an old residential building in Yanfeng District on May 12, where 5 people died and 2 were injured.
On May 12, a fire broke out in a residential building in Lijiacong Community, Yanfeng District, Hengyang City, around 3 a.m., resulting in 5 deaths and 2 injuries.
According to Upstream News, the house that caught fire is located on the 5th and 6th floors of 4 buildings in the residential area of Hengyang Lock Factory. Residents of the area mentioned that the fire started on the 5th floor and spread to the 6th floor. The buildings were constructed in the 1980s.
Within just 12 days, these two fires have resulted in a total of 10 deaths and 3 injuries, exposing the weak firefighting facilities in old areas and the high risk of fatal fires at late hours. This has raised concerns about local firefighting safety issues.
Many Chinese netizens are questioning why fatal fires have occurred consecutively in a short period of time, and some are calling for the authorities to thoroughly investigate the causes of the accidents and hold those responsible accountable.
Some opinions suggest that both incidents reflect the existing deficiencies in firefighting safety in old residential areas and street-front stores, especially when fires occur during late hours, which often lead to serious casualties.
Furthermore, there are calls to strengthen daily inspection of fire hazards, including regular checks on electrical circuits, avoiding unauthorized connections of electric wires, timely clearing of debris in corridors and evacuation routes, and ensuring the necessary firefighting equipment is in place, all aimed at reducing the risk of similar accidents occurring again.