Authorities at the Ninth China International Garden Expo said that the event could get delayed as a fire had partly destroyed its main attraction. The fire had set ablaze the Yongding Tower in Beijing’s Fengtai district, causing the organisers of the event to think twice about postponing it. The fire broke out at the Yongding tower at about 3pm on April 8, 2013 and caused severe damage as it was aided by strong winds.
Yang Guang, the spokesperson for the district said, “So far, it’s hard to tell whether the damage caused by the fire will delay the expo and the cause of the fire is still under investigation”. The spokesperson said that all efforts were being made to hold the expo on time, but it was not yet clear if the fire would have a lasting impact on the scheduled date. Many construction workers who were near the site of the fire were evacuated quickly.
Earlier, the expo was supposed to welcome its first visitors on May 18, 2013. The event is being jointly organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development and the Beijing municipal government. The event was also organised to contribute to the scenery of the city and was expected to run until November 2013.
