Local police were still identifying the victims killed in a cyber
cafe fire early Sunday morning, most of whom were believed to be
college students from nearby universities.
The fire ravaged the Lanjisu Internet Cafe, killing 24 people and
injuring 13.
All but one of the injured were in stable condition, official
sources said.
Most of the victims suffered smoke inhalation as well as serious
burns, mainly to their faces, necks and limbs, over 30 to 40
percent of the total skin area, police and hospital sources
said.
The operator of the cafe, Zheng Wenjing, has been questioned by
public security authorities, police sources said.
The 36-year Zheng opened the cafe in late May without a
license.
The cause of the fatal blaze was still under investigation,
according to police.
Drawing an instant lesson from the fire, authorities in other
places such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, capital of South China's
Guangdong Province, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
(HKSAR) have decided to strengthen supervision of Internet cafes as
well as other public entertainment centers.
The capital has launched a three-month work safety overhaul on
Internet cafes, dancing halls, barber shops, beauty saloons and
public bathrooms.
Places found to have hidden safety perils will be shut down.
Business in the city's 2,400 Internet cafes has been suspended for
safety examinations by the authorities in charge of culture, public
security, industry and business, telecommunications and
commerce.
In
Shanghai, cultural administration authorities issued an urgent
announcement yesterday, ready to kick off an in-depth work safety
examination on public entertainment centers as well as ban illegal
cyber cafes or those failing to meet safety requirements.
Authorities in Guangzhou launched an overnight safety overhaul and
urged Internet cafes that fail to meet anti-fire requirements to
shut down for rectification, reported the Guangzhou-based
Nanfang Daily. There are about 1,000 illegal cyber cafes in
Guangzhou, the newspaper reported.
W.
K. Lam, secretary for HKSAR Home Affairs Bureau, said on Sunday
Hong Kong will add rules to prohibit the entry of youngsters under
16 into cyber cafes as well as to forbid the cafes opening all
night, reported Xinhua.
The Beijing Science and Technology University is screening its
students to ascertain how many of its students were killed in the
blaze, said a teacher with the university surnamed Zhang.
Earlier reports said many of the victims were from the school, with
even nine of them reportedly from the same class, but they could
not be independently confirmed. Witnesses said that the only door
of the cafe was locked and windows barred when the flames occurred,
blocking the exit of the victims.
(China
Daily June 18, 2002)