A restaurant fire killed 17 people in Changchun, the capital city of Jilin Province on Wednesday, state-run CCTV reported.
Another three people were injured in the blaze that broke out in a small diner at 12:40 p.m., and all the injured had been taken to hospital, according to the report.
The fire and rescue service reported that the cause of the fire was initially considered to be a gas explosion.
Changchun is known as China’s “City of Automobiles,” an important industrial base with a particular focus on the automotive sector.
Fatal accidents continue to commonly occur in China due to poor design and construction, inadequate safety standards, and insufficient inspections and enforcement….