“The fire in Urumqi, Xinjiang: the last screams of the residents who were burned to death, other residents could only stand by the window to watch, because everyone was locked at home.”
Originally tweeted by The Great Translation Movement 大翻译运动官方推号 (@TGTM_Official) on November 25, 2022.
According to state reports, 10 people were killed, and 9 were injured in a fire in the capitol city of China’s Uyghur region, Xinjiang.
Most of Xinjiang and its capitol city Ürümqi , has been under lockdown for more than 100 days. Victims likely spent their last 3 months largely confined to that building
Videos show lockdown measures delayed firefighters from getting to the victims screaming for help. Testing facilities blocked firefighters’ access.
Urumqi city authorities claim apartment residents were free to enter and leave, and that there were no barricades blocking the exits.
Urumqi’s fire chief blamed residents instead, saying “Some residents’ ability to rescue themselves was too weak”
Protests erupted throughout China, some demanding the Xi step down. Most of the protesters were Han Chinese – the Uyghurs fear being sent to the prison camps.
Mary P. Madigan 