China's state broadcaster apologises for fire at its compound
By Channel NewsAsia's China Correspondent Wong Yee Fong | Posted: 11 February 2009 0020 hrs

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BEIJING : China state TV has apologised for a fire that swept through a building on its premises on Monday night.

Illegal fireworks are believed to have started the blaze that broke out in a hotel complex in the compound of China Central Television's (CCTV) new headquarters in Beijing.

It took 600 firemen seven hours to put out the fire. It left one fireman dead and several others injured. The southern facade of the building was destroyed, and the outer walls were damaged and burnt out of shape.

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel building, an annex just 200 metres away from CCTV's spanking new headquarters, had planned to make a splash when it officially opens in a couple of months.

It has become the talk of the town ahead of schedule, but for a far less glamorous reason.

Many Beijing residents made special trips to the site just to see the damage for themselves. Some had thought the omnipresent national broadcaster's offices were up in flames.

News of the blaze caught many Beijing residents by surprise. CCTV is, after all, their main source of information and entertainment. And more recently, the US$700 million modern complex has become a symbol of post-Olympic Beijing.

One resident said: "This is national news! It wasn't easy to build the towers!"

Another commented: "I came here immediately right after I heard the news last night. Fortunately, the main towers were not burnt, or else the fire would have incurred a greater loss."

Firecrackers are not allowed to be set off in the city, but exceptions were made to mark the end of the Lunar New Year.

Security was tight as authorities began gathering evidence for their investigation.

The spokesperson of Mandarin Oriental Hotel could not be reached for comment, but the hotel said in a statement that it is too early to assess the damage.

The luxurious hotel shares the premises with the Television Cultural Center, touted to be the place to be for glamorous events like movie premieres and award shows. These huge plans will have to wait till the dust settles. - CNA/ms