Nine detained after fire at Guangdong mall leaves 17 dead

Nine people were detained in connection to a fire that broke out on the fourth floor of the Yiwu Mall in Huidong, Guangdong province yesterday afternoon. At least 17 people were killed in the blaze, and local authorities believe the death toll will rise in upcoming days, NetEase News reports.
The fire broke out at around 2:00 p.m. on Thursday and was controlled by 7:30 p.m., according to reports. The fourth floor of the mall, reinforced with concrete, contained a warehouse and a movie theater.
“The marketing manager of Yiwu Shopping Mall and the deputy manager of the Yatu Movie Theater are among nine related staff in police custody,” the local authority said in a press conference this morning. “There’s a cinema on the fourth floor, and many people were watching a movie when the fire broke out.”
“Based on preliminary investigation, the fire was caused by a kitchen staff member on the fourth floor when he or she was heating food,” a spokesman said.























by Luke Sun
[Images via NetEase]