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Gas explosion, arson ruled out in restaurant fire in China that killed 22

Published: 30 Apr. 2025, 20:06 Updated: 01 May. 2025, 12:21

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, workers build a scaffolding around the site of a restaurant fire in Liaoyang in northeastern China on April 29. [AP/YONHAP]

Official reports say authorities in northern China have ruled out a gas explosion or arson as the possible cause of a restaurant fire that killed 22 people and prompted a call from the country's leader, Xi Jinping, to focus on safety during the upcoming May Day holiday.

Xi called for measures to prevent major accidents to “ensure public safety and social stability” during the upcoming five-day holiday in a directive carried by state media following the fire. Holidays and the attendant crowds have, in the past, caused stampedes, fires and transportation accidents.

Investigators are looking at discarded cigarettes and electrical short circuits as possible causes of Tuesday's inferno, which began around noon and was fed by high winds and flammable decor. The fire started near the main entrance, trapping many inside the restaurant, which apparently had no emergency exit.

The restaurant’s manager is being held by the police, but it wasn't clear whether he had been charged with a crime.

Industrial accidents occur frequently in China, usually related to a lack of safety measures and illegal construction and storage.

Separately, 17 people were injured Wednesday in an explosion at a residential apartment complex in the northwestern city of Taiyuan. The cause remains unknown.

AP