A fiery restaurant disaster in northeast China killed 22 and injured three other people on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The blaze at 12:25 p.m. (0425 GMT) in Liaoyang City in Liaoning Province in a residential area. The authorities have given no further information on the origin of the fire.
President Xi Jinping Responds to Tragedy
In reaction to the catastrophe, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his deep concern over the tragic accident, calling it “a deeply sobering lesson.” The Chinese president pressed the local leaders to quickly clarify the cause of the fire, provide adequate treatment to the burn victims, and hold accountable any people responsible for the fatal incident, state news agency Xinhua reported.
First images from the restaurant fire 🔥
22 people dead and 3 injured after a #fire broke out at a restaurant near a resettlement housing complex in Liaoyang, #Liaoning Province. The investigation is ongoing. #China #fire pic.twitter.com/WRelu9T8ov
— Nazlı Özdemir (@nazliiozdemr) April 29, 2025
China’s Struggling Issues with Gas Blasts
This fatal fire comes in the wake of a series of gas accidents in China. There have been several gas leaks over the past year that have resulted in several explosions in residential compounds. In March, a restaurant explosion in Hebei Province resulted in two deaths and injured 26 people. More recently, in September, a blast in a Shenzhen high-rise building resulted in one fatality. These incidents have created huge concerns regarding safety measures in public areas and residential complexes nationwide.
The most recent blaze has added to the focus on restaurant and other commercial premises’ safety measures in China, with the government under increasing pressure to provide public security.
