Factory fire kills 38 people in Central China’s Henan

A fire at a factory in Anyang city in central China’s Henan province has killed thirty-eight people and left two injured, in yet another reminder of industrial accidents in recent years. Chinese state media quoting local authorities said on Tuesday that a fire was reported on Monday evening at a company dealing in chemicals and other industrial goods and was put out in four hours. Police said suspects had been taken into custody in connection with the fire, but the cause remains unclear. More than 200 search and rescue workers and 60 firefighters were pressed into service, according to state media.

China has seen a spate of industrial accidents in recent years that have left scores dead, raising concerns about public safety. Industrial accidents are common in China due to weak safety standards and corruption among officials responsible for enforcing them. In October 2021, four people were killed and 47 injured in a powerful explosion at a restaurant in the northeastern city of Shenyang which was part of a mixed-use residential and commercial building. In March 2019, an explosion at a chemical factory in Yancheng killed 78 people, injured over 600, and devastated homes in a large area. In 2015, 165 people got killed in a massive explosion at a chemical warehouse in Tianjin.