Father and son arrested in connection with fire

A father and son who were in charge of a rental service for an uncompleted building that was damaged in a fire in Guangzhou were arrested in connection with the fire on Monday, New Express Daily reported.

The two surnamed Li are suspected of liability for the fire at Jianye Mansion, and an electrician surnamed Jin was also arrested on suspicion of negligently causing the fire, according to statement from the Guangzhou Yuexiu District People's Procuratorate.

The blaze that broke out at 6:30 pm on Dec 15 in the Guangdong provincial capital city was finally brought under control at about 7 am the next day. No deaths or injuries were reported.

The blaze burned floor space of more than 12,500 square meters and caused direct economic losses valued at more than 40.66 million yuan ($6.72 million).

Developers stopped work on the 25-story structure that was originally designed as a commercial plaza in 1998 in the wake of the Asian financial crisis.

In 2000, the Li father and son illegally leased the uncompleted building in Yuexiu district's Qiyi road to shoe traders to use as warehouse space.

More than 700,000 pairs of leather shoes were burned in the fire, the report said.