Safety watchdog reveals causes of fatal rest home fire

A preliminary investigation found poor building quality and lax safety management were causes behind a fatal rest home fire in central China, the country's top safety watchdog said on Wednesday.

An investigation into the fire, which killed 38 people and injured six in a private rest home in Henan Province on Monday, showed the burned bungalows were built with steel sheets stuffed with flammable materials, said Sun Huashan, deputy head of the State Administration of Work Safety.

Sun said the fire exits of the burned buildings were poorly designed and the accident also exposed the lack of safety checks, strict fire and electricity management, and efficient emergency response at the rest home.

Government departments are also to blame for the accident as they have failed to properly enforce laws, said Sun.

To remove potential dangers, China on Tuesday launched an immediate safety check at nursing homes, welfare houses, kindergartens, child-care centers and hospitals across the country.

President Xi Jinping has ordered an "all-out effort" to handle the aftermath of the fire and demanded a thorough investigation into the accident. Endi