Coronavirus outbreak: Hotel used for quarantine collapses in China, 70 feared trapped

A hotel in China used for housing coronavirus suspects has collapsed, reportedly trapping over 70 people underneath. According to media reports, at least 43 people have been rescued from the debris of the Xinjia Express Hotel in Quanzhou. Media reports suggest that the hotel had around 80 rooms and it was converted into an observation centre by Chinese authorities to house people who were suspected to have had contacted coronavirus patients,

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According to reports, 700 rescuers and medical staff have been deployed to help in the rescue work that is underway. Media reports have suggested that the hotel building collapsed at around 7:30 pm local time and the exact number of people trapped inside is still unknown, however, the district government has estimated around 70. 

Coronavirus outbreak

The new coronavirus also known as COVID-19 has claimed more than 3,500 lives across the globe and has infected over 1,00,000 people around the world since it first broke out in December 2019. China is the most affected country in the world as experts believe that the virus originated from a seafood market in Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were being traded illegally. As per reports, over 3,000 people have lost their lives in China alone and there are currently 22,000 active cases in the country. 

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According to reports, at least 500 people have died outside mainland China, which makes it the worst disease outbreak of the 21st century. Italy, Iran and South Korea are the most affected countries outside China, where 233, 145 and 4 people have died respectively as of March 6. As per the United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) a vaccine to battle the virus could take a year to develop. 

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Image Credit: AP