At least 22 people killed in restaurant fire in northeast China

According to Chinese authorities, the fire at a restaurant in Liaoyang in northern China left at least 22 people dead and three others injured.

The fire broke out shortly after noon on Tuesday, shortly after noon local time (04:25 GMT).

However, the scene’s images showed massive flames erupting from the multi-story building in Liaoyang, which is located about 580 kilometers (360 miles) northeast of Beijing.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, “the incident has resulted in 22 deaths and three injuries.”

Videos that were posted on TikTok, China’s version of TikTok, showed paramedics attempting to transport a victim on a stretcher to an ambulance and several firefighters using hoses to battle the flames.

More than a dozen fire engines were parked outside the restaurant in a second video that was captured from the social media platform above the scene.

According to Hao Peng, the secretary of Liaoning’s provincial ruling party committee, 85 firefighters and 22 fire trucks were on the scene.

Hao claimed that the on-site rescue operations had been finished and that people had been evacuated.

A long list of responding regional politicians, from the governor down, was provided along with a pledge to find the source of the disaster and severely punish those responsible.

According to CCTV, China’s President Xi Jinping demanded that “every effort is made to treat the injured, properly handle the aftermath for the deceased, provide support to their families, quickly determine the cause of the fire, and pursue accountability in accordance with the law.”

In China, workers frequently mistreat safety measures as a result of a lack of training or administrative pressure from their superiors.

Poor infrastructure, illegally stored chemicals, and a lack of fire exits and fire retardants, which are frequently aided by corruption, contribute to these disasters.

In recent months, there have been numerous instances of these deadly incidents. A fire at a nursing home in Hebei province, northern China, claimed the lives of at least 20 people on April 9.

Eight people were killed and 15 were hurt in a fire at a vegetable market in Zhangjiakou, northwest of Beijing, in January.