Nineteen face probe over deadly Zigong fire

Nineteen people have been placed under criminal investigation for a fatal fire accident that happened in July last year in Zigong, Sichuan province, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Sichuan provincial commission for discipline inspection and commission of supervision.

The fire broke out at 6:11 pm on July 17 in the Jiuding Department Store in the Zigong High-Tech Zone, killing 16 people and injuring 39.

The statement said the 19 suspects have been taken into custody by public security authorities, with 16 transferred to the procuratorial organs for review and prosecution.

The disciplinary inspection authorities have held 32 public officials accountable for dereliction of duty in the deadly accident, the statement said.

According to an investigation report released on the same day, the accident led to direct economic losses of more than 26.7 million yuan ($3.6 million).

The report, approved by a recent executive meeting of the Sichuan provincial government, said the fire was caused by Jiuding Group's unauthorized demolition of escalators conducted by unqualified personnel, whose violation of safety protocols during torch cutting led to molten slag igniting combustible materials in the supermarket storage area.

The poor working safety management, ineffective emergency response, inadequate daily supervision and long-term fire hazards, combined with a failure of local governments and relevant departments to fulfill their responsibilities, also contributed to the major safety accident, the report said.