Restaurant Fire in Northeast China Kills 22

A fire at a restaurant in Liaoyang City, northeastern China, killed 22 people and injured three others on Tuesday.

The blaze broke out around lunchtime in the two-storey building, located about 580 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Video footage circulating online showed the structure engulfed in flames and thick smoke rising above the area.

President Xi Jinping described the incident as a major tragedy and urged authorities to treat the injured, support the victims' families, investigate the cause, and ensure legal accountability.

Additional footage showed emergency crews using hoses to douse the flames and paramedics transporting victims to ambulances. More than a dozen fire trucks were deployed to the scene.

A nearby restaurant worker said she only became aware of the fire after reading about it online and described the event as “very tragic.”

Deadly fires occur frequently in China, often due to lax enforcement of building safety codes. Recent similar incidents include a nursing home fire earlier this month that killed 20, and a January blaze at a vegetable market that left eight dead.

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