The MO in Bejing is gone !

[Scrooge]

I am starting to hear reports that the soon to be opened MO in Bejiing has been destroyed in a fire.

Anyone hearing anything ?

Edit :

Oh yeah it's gone

STORY
Pictures
Video

Link to Google.







Edit by mod to shorten link...... Nick

[Darren Wheeler]

Ouch! I'd love to see what the insurers have to day.

[RichardMannion]

Bugger. That means we need to re-evaluate our 2010 travel plans....

What an absolute shame, all those years of design up in smoke. It must have been very near to opening as they've had a sexy online pdf brochure for it on the website for a couple of months.

Still, a relief that no one was hurt. It is only bricks and mortar (although I'm not sure MO's laywers may be thinking that at the moment) and nothing compared to the tragedy in Southern Australia.

[RichardMannion]

That will indeed be some insurance payout and a half.

[HighFlyer]

[:o] I'm gutted.

Thankfully nobody was hurt, but what a bugger! To lose a hotel that hasnt even opened? I am sure the payout will be good but this will be a real setback to the MO corp, I imagine they'll need a couple of years at least to rebuild it.

Thanks,
Sarah

[Darren Wheeler]

Press release from MO HERE

Reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsRnQQpklPM

GJ

[RichardMannion]

No hot deals for the opening then?

[mcmbenjamin]

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
No hot deals for the opening then?


Ha pun ha pun

Any chance the building could be saved seems dashed in the cold light of day, shown here. Looks like if they want an MO in Beijing they will have to tear it down and start again. [:#]

What a shame it looked like it was going to be an amazing building. Good that no-one was hurt.

[RichardMannion]

Looks like there were injuries to the fire crew that tackled the blaze, resulting in one fatality. Now the insurance battle will be interesting, as CCTV have admitted liability....

[Darren Wheeler]

As CCTV is state-run, I can see the state paying for the rebuilding so as to save face. Especially as it's global news.

http://www.cctv.com/english/20090210/108460.shtml

I found this story in today's Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/fe ... ijing-fire

I remember seeing an exhibition and model of the area about two years ago at MOMA in NYC and thinking 'Blimy (or stronger words to that effect) it'll take them years to build that !'

[Darren Wheeler]

The plot thickens

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 884275.stm

Wow what an inferno! Now seems an unlicensed fireworks display set of the blaze and 12 in police custody! MO didn't own the building but must have been in the process of spending a fortune kitting it out ...

[Darren Wheeler]

Not only that, but they were expressly told not to set them off.

I can see the MO lawyers rubbing their hands with glee.