At least 22 people lost their lives and three others were injured in a fire that engulfed a restaurant in Liaoyang, located in northeast China.
The fire began around 12:25 p.m. local time on April 29, 2025, during a busy lunch period, trapping diners inside the multi-story establishment.
Footage from the site reveals flames pouring from the windows and doors of the two-story building, with dense smoke rising. Witnesses hurried away while others observed as the fire consumed the structure.
Emergency crews responded quickly to the incident, deploying over 20 fire trucks and 85 firefighters to combat the blaze in the residential area. The restaurant’s manager has been detained as officials look into the fire’s cause.
Preliminary findings suggest the fire may have been triggered by discarded cigarettes or electrical malfunctions, rather than a gas explosion or arson. Strong winds and combustible decorations reportedly facilitated the fire’s rapid spread.
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a directive following the incident, referring to it as “a deeply sobering lesson” and urging immediate medical attention for the injured. He called on officials to “determine the cause of the fire, and hold those responsible accountable,” highlighting the need to prevent major accidents during the May Day holiday.
Safety experts pointed out that the absence of an emergency exit in the restaurant could have led to the high number of fatalities, with many diners trapped inside.
Liaoyang, in Liaoning province, is part of China’s industrial rust belt, a region that has faced economic difficulties in recent years.
Industrial accidents are common in China, often linked to safety lapses, inadequate infrastructure maintenance, and weak regulatory enforcement. Traditional cooking methods involving open flames, like those used for wok cooking or “hot pot” dishes, can increase fire risks in restaurants.
This fire follows other recent deadly fires in China. In July 2024, a fire at a shopping mall in Zigong, Sichuan province, resulted in 16 deaths. Firefighters rescued about 75 people from the 14-story commercial building, which included a department store, offices, restaurants, and a cinema. Investigations indicated construction activities sparked that fire.
In January, a fire took 39 lives in a commercial building in Jiangxi province due to unauthorized welding in the basement igniting flammable materials. The following month, 15 individuals died when a fire originating in a parking lot with electric bikes spread to a residential building in Nanjing.
In April, a fire at a nursing home in Hebei province resulted in the deaths of 20 elderly residents.
“The number of fires in public places such as hotels and restaurants has risen to 40 percent,” officials noted in a recent safety report, citing faulty electrical or gas lines and general negligence as common causes. Fire-related deaths in China rose by 19 percent in the first months of this year compared to the same period last year.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has urged provincial leaders to enhance safety protocols nationwide and draw lessons from these incidents to avert future tragedies.
China has previously experienced various incidents, including fires, stampedes, and transport accidents, during major holiday periods when businesses and transport systems operate at full capacity.
