Six on trial over China rest home fire

Six people stood on trial Thursday for their roles in a fire at a private rest home in central China's Henan Province that killed 39 elderly people.

The fire broke out at a rest home in Lushan County on May 25 last year. Five managers and one construction contractor pleaded guilty to causing the major safety incident, at Lushan county people's court.

Contractor Feng Chunjie did not have an appropriate certificate and used flammable materials in the rest home expansion, it said.

The court is to announce sentencing at a later date.

Government officials charged with dereliction of duty over the fire will be tried separately, the court said. Endi