China’s Liaoyang authorities vow to punish those responsible after a restaurant fire claims 22 lives, injures 3

In a tragic incident in China’s northern city of Liaoyang, 22 people were killed while 3 were injured in a fire at a restaurant, authorities said. Following the fire, several regional politicians – from the governor down – have pledged to get to the bottom of the disaster and severely punish those responsible.

The cause of the fire, which erupted shortly after noon, is not known. Images showed huge flames spurting from the windows and doors of the building, reported AP.

The provincial radio and television bureau reported that the fire was extinguished and the search for survivors had ended.

President Xi Jinping said that the blaze resulted in “significant casualties” adding that the lessons from it were “profoundly serious”, as per CCTV.

The report added that Xi called for “every effort to treat the injured, properly handle the aftermath for the deceased and provide support to their families, swiftly determine the cause of the fire, and pursue accountability in accordance with the law.”

According to videos shared on social media, a dozen fire engines were parked outside the restaurant as the firefighters battled the blaze.

Such deadly fires are relatively common in China due to a lack of safety features and poorly maintained infrastructure. 

Earlier this month, a fire at a nursing home in northern China's Hebei province killed 20 people. In January, a blaze at a vegetable market in Zhangjiakou city, northwest of Beijing, claimed the lives of eight people and injured 15. A month before that, nine people were killed in a fire at a construction site in eastern China's Rongcheng city.