An investigation into a fire that killed 39 people and injured nine early this year at a building complex in Xinyu, Jiangxi province, has uncovered a trail of negligence and misconduct, leading to punitive action against the responsible parties.
The accident, which happened on the afternoon of Jan 24, also caused direct economic loss of more than 43.52 million yuan ($6.17 million).
A joint investigation team was established after the fire by the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Public Security, the National Fire and Rescue Administration, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the Jiangxi Provincial People's Government.
The fire was caused by illegal construction of a cold storage facility in the basement of the building complex, according to a report on the investigation released on Saturday.
During construction, the use of polyurethane foam sealant led to the emission of flammable gases, which gradually built up to hazardous levels, said the report, which was reviewed and approved at an executive meeting of the State Council, China's Cabinet.
Simultaneously, when plastic film was being placed on extruding polystyrene boards, the generation of static electricity triggered the igniting of the gases, the foam and other combustible substances. This chain of events resulted in the production of a significant volume of toxic smoke, according to the report.
With the lack of fire separation in the shared evacuation staircase between the basement and the ground floor of the building complex, the smoke quickly spread to the second floor, where students and teachers were having classes organized by Boyi Education, a training institution. Because of security nets and advertising boards outside the classrooms, they were unable to escape in time, resulting in an increase in casualties.
The investigation team also found that the owner of the building had illegally rented out the basement floor, where construction of the cold storage facility was underway, and the building's fire prevention measures were insufficient.
Furthermore, the team found that the educational training institution and hotel were operating in violation of regulations, and relevant local authorities had failed to carry out their supervision duties.
In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, the team suggested enhancing the safety management of cold storage by regulating the planning, site selection and on-site construction of such facilities. It also asked for strengthened management of major places where multiple businesses operate.
Efforts should also be made to promote the installation of "one-click alarm" devices in crowded areas and near evacuation routes, enabling a single press to trigger building-wide alarms to enable prompt response by all occupants, the team said.
It also addressed issues such as congested evacuation routes, poorly maintained fire safety facilities, inadequate safety exits, and potential hazards such as unauthorized security nets and advertisement boards.
Several senior officials and others responsible for the fire have been punished, according to authorities.
They include Ren Zhufeng, vice-governor of Jiangxi in charge of safe production and civil air defense work, who was given a disciplinary warning within the Communist Party of China for failing to supervise fire prevention in the basement where the blaze occurred.
Chen Min, secretary-general of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and former vice-governor of Jiangxi in charge of housing and urban-rural development, was given a severe disciplinary warning within the Party together with Sun Hongshan, vice-governor of Jiangxi in charge of education.
The results were submitted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China.
Public security organs in Jiangxi have initiated investigations against 10 individuals suspected of serious accident liability crimes, including those in charge of construction of the cold storage facility and the educational institute.
The discipline inspection and supervision organs in Jiangxi have conducted serious accountability probes against 55 officials suspected of violating discipline and laws in the incident, China Central Television reported.
Three officials are under investigation for serious violations of discipline and laws as well as duty-related crimes. Two of those cases were transferred to procuratorial organs for review and prosecution.
Additionally, 52 officials in relevant departments who were linked to negligence and dereliction of duty in the incident were punished, with most being removed from their posts.
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