A winter's tale of loss and learning

Clothes factory workers carry goods after being ordered to move out of unsafe properties in Xinjian'er. [Wang Jing/China Daily]

With the boom in e-commerce, many express delivery companies have opened storehouses and stationed employees in these compounds due to the low rent.

However, over the years, many buildings were illegally renovated, often to transform large spaces into small, cheap apartments, such as at Jufuyuan. Authorities say this resulted in safety hazards that have led to several accidents, including a fire in April at a workshop making neon lights in Changping. On that occasion, no casualties were reported.

For failing to address these risks, three officials were suspended from their posts on Wednesday: Du Zhiyong, deputy director of the Daxing government; Si Wentao, head of Xihongmen township; and Zheng Yajun, Xihongmen's Party chief. They are being investigated by the city's discipline inspection authorities, the Party watchdog.

Legislators also accepted the resignation of Cui Zhicheng, head of the district government, on Wednesday, although it was not immediately clear whether this was connected with the fatal fire on Nov 18.

Public response

Cai Qi, the capital's Party chief, described the Jufuyuan tragedy as a lesson "paid with blood". He said it made authorities realize the urgency of intensifying efforts to eliminate fire and other safety risks in crowded buildings that serve as storage areas, workshops or dormitories.

On Nov 20, two days after the blaze, the city's Work Safety Committee launched a 40-day campaign to identify and remove potential hazards. Within five days, inspectors had reported finding 25,309 hazards.

Yet as the campaign was rolled out, stories about tenants being evicted on short notice from properties classified as unsafe quickly began to gain attention on social media. Netizens were outraged by images of people standing in streets in the freezing weather clutching their belongings.

With no alternative accommodations provided, some of those affected had to leave the city behind and return to their hometowns.

"Social problems cannot be solved overnight," said Yang at the Chinese Academy of Governance. "Many people live in such unsafe apartments in order to make a living in Beijing, and they have nowhere else to go.

"The fire was an emergency, but the government should have made a more comprehensive plan before launching the safety campaign," he added. "The government is dealing with people in various employment, different living situations and with different demands, so being impetuous is not practical and will only bring frustration."

Zheng Baokun, 50, a resident of Xinjian'er, said he understands the government's intention to remove safety hazards, but he hoped officials could show more consideration.

He took a stroll through his neighborhood with his 2-year-old grandson on Wednesday afternoon. Several unsafe buildings had already been torn down, while some stood semi-demolished like giant dollhouses, with furniture and wallpaper still intact in some apartments, he said.

"The village is empty now. People have moved away within days (of the fire) because their businesses or apartments were found unsafe. We have no place to do our grocery shopping at the moment," Zheng said.