Two foreigners were injured and some 500 people evacuated after a high-rise hotel in the Chinese capital caught fire Tuesday afternoon, according to local firefighters.
The Traders Upper East Hotel, located in the northeast of Beijing's Central Business District, was reported on fire at 12:50 p.m.
A total of 126 firemen using 18 fire engines extinguished the blaze after battling it for one hour. A 90-meter-high scaling ladder was also used by firemen to rescue those trapped and contain the blaze.
The two injured foreigners were Turkish women. They were found trapped on the 24th floor and firemen carried the women to safety on the ground. The two women suffered minor injuries and are receiving treatment in hospital, said firemen.
An initial investigation revealed the fire began in the cable shaft between the 19th and 21st floors.