A devastating fire at a restaurant in Liaoning province claimed the lives of 22 people and left three others injured on Tuesday, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The fire broke out during lunchtime in the city of Liaoyang, located around 580 kilometres northeast of Beijing.
Footage shared online showed the two-storey building engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising high into the sky. Additional videos verified by AFP and posted on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, depicted emergency crews rushing to the scene.
Firefighters could be seen working to douse the flames, while paramedics attended to the injured, transporting at least one victim on a stretcher.
President Xi Jinping described the fire as a tragedy with “significant casualties” and said the lessons to be drawn from it were “profoundly serious,” CCTV reported. Xi urged authorities to prioritize treatment for the injured, support affected families, investigate the cause swiftly, and hold those responsible accountable under the law.
Over a dozen fire trucks were dispatched to the site, as seen in drone footage circulating online. A local restaurant worker told AFP that she was unaware of the incident until she read about it in the news. “We didn’t hear anything unusual except the sirens, and the police were still outside later,” she said, calling the event “very tragic.”
Understanding Fire Safety Regulations in China
Fires with deadly outcomes are not uncommon in China, often attributed to outdated infrastructure, loose enforcement of safety standards, and poorly maintained buildings. The Liaoyang tragedy adds to a growing list of incidents that continue to raise concerns about public safety regulations.
