Restaurant fire in northeast China kills 22

A devastating fire broke out at a restaurant in northeastern China on Tuesday, claiming the lives of 22 people and injuring three others, according to Chinese state media. The blaze erupted around lunchtime in the city of Liaoyang, located about 580 kilometers (360 miles) from Beijing.

State broadcaster CCTV confirmed the tragic toll, while footage shared online and verified by AFP showed the entire two-storey restaurant engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising into the sky.

Videos published on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, captured scenes of chaos as paramedics rushed a victim on a stretcher into an ambulance. Firefighters could be seen spraying water on the building as they fought to control the blaze.

Another aerial video showed more than a dozen fire trucks lined up outside the site as emergency responders worked tirelessly to put out the fire.

The restaurant operator was taken into police custody later that evening, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency. In total, 22 firefighting vehicles and 85 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire.

Authorities announced that the rescue operation had concluded and that the injured were all in stable condition. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered that all necessary measures be taken to care for the injured and support the families of the deceased. He also stressed the need to determine the cause quickly and ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law.

A nearby restaurant worker, who asked not to be named, said she had remained inside throughout the day and only found out about the incident after seeing news reports. “We weren’t aware of it and continued on normally,” she told AFP by phone, describing the situation as “very tragic.”

Fatal fires are unfortunately common in China, often due to poor enforcement of safety regulations and substandard building practices. In recent months, the country has seen several deadly incidents.

Earlier this month, 20 people were killed in a fire at a nursing home in Hebei province. In January, eight people died and 15 were injured in a blaze at a vegetable market in Zhangjiakou, and in December, nine people lost their lives in a fire at a construction site in Rongcheng.

These repeated tragedies have intensified calls for stricter safety enforcement and improved building standards across the country.