22 people are dead and three others were injured after a fire broke out at a restaurant in northern China on Tuesday afternoon.
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According to Xinhua News Agency, the fire started at around 12:25 p.m. in Liaoyang, located in Liaoning Province.
Although details about how the fire was started remain unclear, the restaurant’s manager was reportedly taken into police custody.
President Xi Jinping spoke out about the situation, calling it a “deeply sobering lesson.” The world leader urged local officials to act quickly to treat the injured. He also encouraged officials to determine what led to the fire quickly and to hold those responsible to account.
The Associated Press further reported that 22 fire trucks and 85 firefighters were dispatched to put out the fire. Hao Peng, secretary of Liaoning’s provincial ruling party committee, stated that the on-site rescue work had been completed. Peng also pointed out that people inside the restaurant had been quickly evacuated.
The Restaurant Fire Occurred Weeks After Nursing Home Blaze
The Liaoyang restaurant fire occurred less than a month after 20 people died in a nursing home blaze in China’s Chengde city in Hebei province.
As previously reported, at least 19 people survived he fire and were taken to a nearby hospital for any injuries and observations.
State-run media at the time claimed a “relevant” person in charge of the facility was taken into police custody. However, no further information about the person and their involvement in the fire has been revealed.