Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered for all-out efforts to treat the injured, comfort the affected families, properly deal with the aftermath and bring those accountable to justice after a factory fire in Henan province killed 38 people. He has also urged to screen for safety hazards in a thorough manner to resolutely prevent and curb the occurrence of serious and major accidents.
According to Chinese state media, the fire broke out on Monday afternoon at Kaishinda Trading Company Limited in the Wenfeng area known as the ‘high-tech zone’ of Anyang city. Local authorities reported a total of 38 deaths on Tuesday morning. Two others were hospitalized with injuries. According to CCTV news, most of the victims are women. They were involved in making winter clothes in that factory.
An electro-welding operation on the first floor has been blamed for the incident, according to a preliminary investigation, igniting airborne cotton fibers, which later set fire to large piles of clothes.
Citing Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said the Anyang fire was among a spate of workplace accidents that have occurred recently and the accidents have resulted in heavy casualties and “taught sobering lessons”.
Xi urged local governments and government bodies to coordinate economic development and product safety management.
Xi also insisted on putting people’s interests first, adhering to the principle that nothing is more valuable than human life.
