Students Trapped in Fire as Facial Recognition System Delays Escape at Chinese University

A fire at a Chinese university dormitory has sparked controversy. Students were required to undergo facial recognition to evacuate.

According to reports from Chinese media outlets, including Hua Shang Daily, on Wednesday, a fire broke out on Sunday on the first floor of a female dormitory at Changqing Campus of Jinan Industrial University in Jinan, Shandong Province.

As black smoke rose inside the building, students rushed to the entrance since the windows were blocked by anti-theft bars. However, all gates installed with smart access systems were closed, and students could only exit after individually scanning their faces in front of the facial recognition devices. This caused a chaotic situation as students crowded the exit, which could have led to a major disaster.

On China’s social media platform Weibo, posts were shared, apparently by students at the scene. They described the incident as follows: “The administrators evacuated first, leaving the students trapped in the dormitory,” and “The door was closed during the fire, and we had to scan our faces one by one to exit.”

In response, the university claimed that the fire, caused by a faulty power bank, was minor and resulted in no injuries. They defended using facial recognition, asserting, “This is part of our security system, and we must use it to ensure the safety of many students.”