Beijing Internet Cafes Ordered to Stop Operation for Rectification

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 17, 2002

Beijing Internet Cafes Ordered to Stop Operation for Rectification

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All Beijing-based Internet cafes will stop operation since Sunday for rectification as part of local efforts to guarantee safe operation, announced Beijing Mayor Liu Qi at an emergency meeting on safe production held Sunday morning after a cyber cafe fire killed 24 persons and injured 13.

Local government had launched a campaign to regulate the Internet cafes and set June as "month of safe production" before the accident.

Meanwhile, a three-month long anti-fire inspection will be conducted in all Beijing-based enterprises and various measures will be taken to safeguard safe operation, according to Liu.

Operation licenses will not be granted to any new Internet cafes in the future and those that have obtained legal certificates should re-register with relevant government administrations for inspection, the mayor said.

According to Liu Qi, illegal Internet cafes will be severely punished. Operation certificates of legal cyber cafes that fail to meet relevant requirements will be revoked and problem-cafes will be recorded in a local supervision databank on corporate credibility.

Sources say that 2,200 out of the 2,400 Beijing-based cyber cafes have been operating illegally.

Measures will also be taken to ensure safety in public places and smooth operation of public services such as subway and gas stations.

Haidian is the site of Beijing University and Tsinghua University, two of China's most prestigious schools. The area has a large student population and also is the center of China's growing computer and high-technology industries.

Internet cafes, many open 24 hours, are immensely popular in China, which says it has 33.7 million Internet users but where many families can't afford to buy a computer. The biggest cafes, especially near universities, have hundreds of terminals.

In December 2000, a fire at a discotheque in the central city of Luoyang killed 309 people. Investigators blamed the high death toll on locked emergency exits.

Twenty-three people held responsible were sentenced to prison terms of up to 13 years.

24 Killed, 13 Injured in Beijing Cyber Cafe Fire

A total of 24 persons were killed and 13 others injured in a cyber cafe fire in suburban Beijing early June 16 morning.

The fire broke out at around 2:40 in the Lanjisu Cyber Cafe located in the No.20 compound, Xueyuan Lu, Haidian District. Beijing's fire department sent fire engines to the scene right after getting the alarm, and the fire was put out by 3:30.

Investigation into the fire is underway.

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