The fire started in the 159-meter high (522 feet) Mandarin Oriental Hotel at approximately 9:00 p.m. Beijing time [GMT 13:00]. There have been no reports of injuries, although witnesses have confirmed that several lights in the building were on when the fire began.
The hotel is part of a larger complex including Chinese central television.
The cause of the fire has not been officially announced. However, China began its annual Celebration of Lights on Monday with a firework display for the Lunar New Year. Several witnesses have said that the fire began after fireworks started falling onto the rooftop of the building, after which the fire began to spread quickly downwards.
The hotel is located 200 meters away from the main building of the Chinese central television building, which is part of a complex that was to be officially opened in the fall of 2009. The burned-out hotel was used during the Summer Olympics in 2008 and housed several television studios.
