City launches fire safety checks after deadly blaze

Firefighters work at the site of a building fire in Xinyu city, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

All educational institutions in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, are required to carry out fire safety inspections as preliminary investigations found that the illegal use of fire caused a deadly blaze in the city, local authorities said on Thursday.

The fire, which killed 39 people and injured nine others, broke out at 3:24 pm on Wednesday after workers used fire illegally while refurbishing a cold storage in the basement of the building, Xu Hong, the mayor of Xinyu, said at a news conference.

A total of 12 people who are believed to be responsible were put into custody and are being investigated by the public security authorities.

The building is located at a T-shaped intersection just north of the east gate of Jiangxi University of Engineering.

It consists of a supermarket and an internet cafe on the first floor, and a hotel and educational training institution on the second floor.

A report by China Youth Daily said that dozens of students were attending an English class at the training facility when the blaze started.

The classroom, with two exits, has an area of more than 60 square meters. However, according to a student at the training institution, one of the exits was a small window that was hidden behind a curtain at the back of the classroom. The window was taped up and not usable.

The other exit was a small aluminum door located next to the podium. The door is narrow, and only one person can pass through it at a time, China Youth Daily quoted the student as saying. However, the door is often closed when students are taking classes.

According to local authorities, the fire was so intense that it could not be extinguished in time, resulting in heavy smoke spreading through the stairwell to the second floor.

A witness told Southern Weekly that he saw someone jump from the second floor. The police had placed mattresses outside the building and managed to save several people before the firefighters arrived, he said.

According to the witness cited by the Guangzhou-based news outlet, at about 3:30 pm, students began coming down a ladder. At approximately 3:40 pm, the fire brigade arrived to launch a rescue operation.

The fire was put out at around 4 pm, after which the fire team entered the basement. The witness said, "Many firefighters went in; they stayed inside for five or six minutes, coming out all covered in black ash and dust."

Videos circulating on social media showed thick, dark smoke billowing from the building and fire trucks and ambulances at the scene of the accident.

Rescue efforts were concluded at 8:50 pm on Wednesday. A total of 118 firefighters and 20 fire and rescue vehicles had been sent to the scene.

Chen Wenbo, a staff member at the Xinsteel Center Hospital in Xinyu, where the injured were being treated, told Beijing Youth Daily that among the patients, one was in critical condition and had been transferred to the intensive care unit.

Chen mentioned that the primary cause of death among the victims was the inhalation of toxic smoke.

At Thursday's news conference, Zeng Xianfeng, head of Xinyu's education bureau, announced the suspension of all off-campus training institutions. Additionally, fire safety inspections would be carried out, and necessary improvements would be made at all educational institutions.

Meanwhile, the local government also vowed to enhance regular monitoring of crowded venues, including kindergartens and schools, to reduce fire hazards.