A fire at a restaurant in northeastern China on Tuesday killed 22 people, the latest in a series of similar deadly incidents in the country, Reuters reports, citing Chinese media, UNN writes.
Details
As indicated, the cause of the fire is not named, but it is reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping called it a "deeply sobering lesson" and called on local officials to quickly provide assistance to the victims, determine what caused the fire, and bring those responsible to justice.
The fire broke out at 12:25 (07:25 Kyiv time) in a restaurant in a residential area of Liaoyang, Liaoning Province, state television CCTV reported. Three people were injured.
Footage circulating on social media, including X and the Chinese platform Douyin, unconfirmed by Reuters, shows bright orange flames engulfing a storefront at street level along with dozens of parked cars. Smoke could be seen billowing as paramedics assist people on stretchers.
Hao Peng, secretary of the provincial committee of the ruling party in Liaoning, said that 22 fire trucks and 85 firefighters were sent to the scene. Hao said that rescue work at the site has been completed and people have been evacuated.
Supplement
This was the latest in a series of similar incidents that have occurred across the country in recent years. In April, 20 people died in a fire that broke out in a nursing home in Hebei Province in the north of the country.
A gas leak caused at least two high-profile explosions in residential areas last year: in March, an explosion at a restaurant in Hebei province killed two people and injured 26, and in September, an explosion in a high-rise building in southern Shenzhen killed one person.