China tower block fire was Government's fault, says victim's daughter

Dec 5, 2022
A woman whose mother and four siblings died in a fire in the Chinese city of Urumqi has blamed the Government for their deaths.

At the time, China operated a strict zero-Covid policy, resulting in many lengthy lockdowns. Protesters say restrictions hampered people's escape from the burning building on 24 November - though the government denies this.

However, China has since eased Covid lockdowns and some restrictions in major cities including Guangzhou, Chongqing and Zhengzhou.

BBC Newsnight's Danny Vincent spoke to Serafet, a Uyghur living in exile in Turkey, who said she found out she had lost family members through social media.

She added there had been no official confirmation of their deaths.