China: Huge protests erupt in Xinjiang, locals blame strict Covid curbs for 10 casualties in blaze

Huge protests erupted in China's restive Xinjiang region on Saturday after 10 people got killed in afire atan apartment block two days ago followed by allegations thatpeople living in the fire-hit compound had been largely prevented from leaving their homes.Ten people were killed and nine injured when the blaze ripped through a residential building in the regional capital Urumqi on Thursday night, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The peopleventedtheir anger against the strict Covid curbs which some social media posts said hampered the rescue efforts. China's extremely strict 'Zero-Covid policy' is increasingly resulting in public fatigue and anger.

Online posts circulating on both Chinese and overseas social media platforms since Friday have claimed that lengthy Covid lockdowns in the city hampered rescue attempts.

People in Urumqi appeared in social media videosto be taking to streets to protest against the Covid measures.

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China is the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid strategy, with authorities wielding snap lockdowns, lengthy quarantines and mass testing to snuff out new outbreaks as they emerge.

Footage partially verified by AFP shows hundreds of people massing outside the Urumqi city government offices during the night, chanting: "Lift lockdowns!"

Crowds chanted "End the lockdown!", pumping their fists in the air as they walked down a street, show videos circulated on Chinese social media on Friday night, reported Reuters which also verified that the footage was published from the Xinjiang capital Urumqi.

Videos showed people singing China's national anthem with its lyric, "Rise up, those who refuse to be slaves!" while others shouted that they wanted to be released from lockdowns.

China has put the vast Xinjiang region under longlockdown, with many of Urumqi's 4 million residents barred from leaving their homes for as long as 100 days, reported Reuters. The city reported about 100 new cases each for the past two days.

Xinjiang is home to 10 million Uyghurs. Rights groups and West have long accused Beijing of abuses against the mainly Muslim ethnic minority though China rejects the claims.

Also Read | 10 killed, nine injured after fire engulfs apartment in China’s Xinjiang region

In another clip, dozens of people are seen marching through a neighbourhood in the east of the city, shouting the same slogan before facing off with a line of hazmat-clad officials and angrily rebuking security personnel.

AFP journalists were able to verify the videos by geolocating local landmarks, but were unable to specify when exactly the protests occurred.

(With inputs from agencies)

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