Urumqi Apartment Fire Highlights Dangers of 100-Day Lockdown

By Yaruk

Nov 26. 2022

On 24 November 2022, a deadly fire broke out in a high‑rise residential building in the Jixiangyuan community, Tianshan District of Urumqi city, the capital of Uyghur homeland, so-called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. According to Chinese authorities, the blaze began around 7:49 p.m. on the 15th floor and was initially reported to have been caused by an electrical outlet or power strip igniting inside an apartment. Official figures state that 10 people were killed and nine were injured in the fire.

The incident occurred during a period when Urumqi and other parts of the region were under strict COVID‑19 lockdown measures that had lasted more than 100 days. Official statements later described the fire site as a “low‑risk COVID area,” with authorities claiming residents were allowed to go downstairs and that building access was not blocked.

However, the fire quickly became a focal point of tension, both within China and internationally. Videos and social media posts — widely shared before being censored — suggested that residents were unable to escape quickly, and that firefighters were delayed or hindered by lockdown barricades and restrictions, leading many observers to question whether pandemic controls contributed to the fatalities. Former residents, witnesses, and relatives have disputed the official narrative, saying exits were locked and pathways blocked, and that emergency crews struggled to reach the site in time.

In the wake of the fire, many Chinese citizens protested harsh COVID‑19 policies, with demonstrations spreading to multiple cities. The Urumqi blaze was widely cited as a catalyst for these protests, which later became known as part of the 2022 anti‑lockdown movement in China.

Uyghur and diaspora sources have challenged the official casualty figures, asserting that the true death toll may be significantly higher — with some claiming as many as 44 people were killed in the fire — although these higher numbers have not been independently verified by international media or official records.

The Urumqi fire remains a highly sensitive and contested event: debated in terms of its causes, the impact of lockdown policies on rescue and escape efforts, and the degree of transparency in official reporting.