Asia-Pacific News
Hotel on fire at iconic Beijing TV headquarters complex (1st Lead)
Feb 9, 2009, 14:49 GMT
Beijing - A fire has broken out at a hotel tower under construction within the new headquarters complex of Chinese State Television (CCTV) in Beijing, according to witnesses late Monday.
Flames from the 159-metre tall tower, set to house the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and a cultural centre, could be seen from far afield, but it was unclear initially if there were any victims.
The building which caught blaze stands 200 metres from the iconic 'twisted arch' headquarters of CCTV, recently completed and designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and German architect Ole Scheeren.
The multi-billion-dollar complex is one of the flagships of the current building boom in Beijing.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. But the capital celebrated the end of two-week festival marking the Chinese New Year with a firework display on Monday evening.
Police blocked nearby streets in the Chinese capital, whilst witnesses reported that the glass facade of the building appeared intact.
The Chinese Xinhua news agency stated that the building was still ablaze late Monday.
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