Twenty individuals have sadly lost their lives in a fire incident at a nursing home located in the northern part of China’s Hebei province, as reported by Xinhua, Beijing’s state news agency, on Wednesday.

The devastating fire took place on Tuesday night at the nursing home situated in Longhua County, approximately 180 kilometers northeast of the Chinese capital, Beijing, as informed by Xinhua.

By Wednesday morning, the authorities confirmed a total of 20 fatalities, according to the state news agency.

Furthermore, the remaining elderly individuals residing in the nursing home have been transferred to nearby hospitals for further observation and treatment, as stated by the government-owned news agency.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, the agency added.

Unfortunately, fires resulting in loss of life are not uncommon occurrences in China, often attributed to inadequate building codes and a general lack of attention to workplace safety.

In January, a fire struck a vegetable market in Zhangjiakou city, northwest of Beijing, claiming eight lives and leaving fifteen individuals injured.

Prior to that incident, in December, a fire at a construction site in Rongcheng city, eastern China, resulted in the death of nine people.