40 public officers deemed accountable for fatal restaurant fire in NE China

SHENYANG, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The emergency management authorities of northeast China's Liaoning Province on Sunday published an official investigation report into a restaurant fire that killed 22 people and injured three others on April 29 in the city of Liaoyang.

The report recommends referring eight individuals, including the restaurant's operators, to judicial authorities for criminal investigation. Additionally, a total of 40 public officers deemed responsible for the tragedy are facing disciplinary and legal scrutiny.

The report states that the blaze was a major workplace safety incident caused by multiple failures. Key factors included the restaurant's evasion of its primary safety responsibilities, unauthorized renovation work and the expansion of its exterior facade using flammable aluminum-plastic panels.

The improper storage of combustible waste, a customer discarding an unextinguished cigarette butt, the use of substandard exterior insulation materials, malfunctioning firefighting equipment, an ineffective initial response, and inadequate oversight by local authorities are also to blame.

According to the investigation, the fire started when a patron surnamed Wang discarded a lit cigarette butt, which was fanned by the wind and then rolled into an opening, igniting stacked cardboard and other waste inside. The fire spread rapidly via the combustible aluminum-plastic facade panels and the polystyrene insulation on the building's exterior. ■