Officials Removed for Nightclub Blaze
09-22 17:21 Caijing Magazine
12 people have been detained in connection with the September 20 blaze that killed 43 people and injured 88 in a Shenzhen nightclub.
By staff reporter Fu Yanyan
Police have detained 12 people in connection with a September 20 nightclub fire that killed 43 people in southern China's Shenzhen City. Huang Haiguang, vice governor of the Longgang district where the nightclub was located, was also removed from his post.
Another four officials in the district's public security department and community office have been deposed. The local government said related punishments will be announced after further investigation.
Around 11 p.m. on September 20, a fire broke out during a performance at the "Dancing King" nightclub. Due to a narrow exit, hundreds of people in attendance were unable to escape from the third-floor club in time. According to official data, 43 people were killed by the fire. Another 88 were injured, including four who remain in serious condition.
After the fire, the club's 41-year old owner Wang Jing escaped but surrendered to police the next day. Caijing learned that Wang's ex-husband, Zhang Wei, is a policeman in the district and a shareholder of the club.
A primary investigation has found that the Dancing King, which opened in September 2007, held no licenses and fell short on fire control requirements. In short, it was operating illegally.
In a press conference about the incident, Zhang Bei, governor of the Longgang district, apologized to the public, admitting that the district authority "failed in safety inspection and execution of law."
The incident is the second deadly fire this year to have broken out in Shenzhen, highlighting yet again China's abysmal fire safety record. In February, a blaze in a different Shenzhen building killed 15 people.
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[ICP License: 090027] IDC License:[B2-20040250] Advertising Business License:[京海工商广字第0407号] 京公网安备110105005607号
Copyright by Caijing. All Rights Reserved