Beijing's Mandarin Oriental Hotel Burns After Fireworks Show

A new luxury hotel in Beijing is burning to the ground after fireworks from the Lunar New Year showered the structure. The 44-story Mandarin Oriental hotel was still under construction.

The hotel caught fire shortly before 9 p.m. as the Beijing skies filled with fireworks. As the building began to burn embers showered the street below. Seven fire crews were at the scene battling the blaze. Police cordoned off onlookers and a nearby highway was shut down for safety reasons. Hotspots are still visible but much of the fire had been extinguished within three hours. Most of the year Beijing has strict fireworks rules. Those rules are lifted during the Lunar New Year as massive firework displays are exploded in open spaces throughout the city. Mandarin Oriental hotel was set to open this year. It would have had 241 guest rooms and have been one of the most luxurious Beijing hotels.