Shanghai residents hold vigil for Urumqi fire victims

STORY: The fire in a high-rise building in the Xinjiang capital, which killed 10 on Thursday night, went viral on social media as many internet users surmised that residents could not escape in time because the building was partially locked down.

On Saturday night, a group of Shanghai residents lit candles and laid flowers for the victims on a section of Wulumuqi Road, named after Urumqi in Mandarin spelling.

Video from a witness showed some people carrying signs that paid tribute to the Urumqi victims, while many appeared to express frustration towards the authorities by holding up blank pieces of paper.

One person even held a sign that said "wake up" in English, along with the Chinese opening line to the national anthem, "Rise up, those who refuse to be slaves".

Shanghai, China's most populous city and financial hub that endured a two-month lockdown earlier this year, tightened testing requirements on Saturday for entering cultural venues such as museums and libraries, requiring people to present a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours, down from 72 hours earlier.