Deadly fire highlights China`s growth problem
Baku, December 17 (AZERTAC). More than a month after a raging fire killed 58 residents of an apartment building in Shanghai, China`s largest metropolis, nagging questions remain: Exactly what caused it? Are apartment residents safe? Survivors and families of victims are seeking a "jiaodai" -- an accounting -- and closure.
A preliminary inquiry shows that sparks from a welder`s torch may have accidentally set fire to temporary nylon netting and bamboo scaffolding used for renovating the 28-story building housing 150 families, according to Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS).
"Work by unlicensed welders, multi-layered sub-contracting and poor management all contributed to the blaze," Luo said two days after the accident.
Shanghai mayor Han Zheng said the city was partly to blame. "Poor supervision of the city`s construction industry was one of the causes behind the high-rise building fire. And we are responsible for that," he told state-run Xinhua News Agency in late November. He has not commented publicly since.
For so many, the loss is deeply felt. A photo circulating on Chinese websites memorializes a one-year-old victim who reportedly died with his grandmother.
It shows a note next to a stuffed bear that reads: "Baby, hold tight to grandma`s hand. May this teddy bear accompany you to heaven, where there is no disaster."
Some Shanghai residents are anxious. "I worry that the firefighters and their high-pressure hose cannot reach our floor," says Wu Dongyang, a private businessman who lives on the 16th floor of a 24-story building. "It`s probably okay, but I`m just afraid of the unexpected."
Authorities have detained 12 suspects in connection with the blaze. Among them are welders, described by local authorities as "unlicensed" who allegedly violated safety rules.
"The accident should not have happened and could have been completely avoided," SAWS chief Luo said.
The official investigation continues. To get an update, we reached by phone the Shanghai Fire Prevention Bureau. They declined to answer our questions and instead referred us to the Shanghai Information Office (SIO) where an employee, who declined to give her name, advised us to check their website for updates.
We did and there was no update since a press conference on November 23. "The investigation team of State Council (China`s cabinet) will release the final investigation result soon," she said.
Chinese authorities have not indicated if higher-level officials would be held accountable. In the past, top leaders and Communist Party elites have largely been immune from criticisms and punishment.
Lately, however, some officials have been held responsible for serious disasters that happened on their turf.
In 2008, for example, Shanxi governor Meng Xuenong was dismissed after taking responsibility for a mining accident in which more than 250 people died.
The Shanghai government has promised to compensate the fire victims, offering more than 900,000 RMB (about $130,000) per victim. Still, local authorities have declined to publicize the identities of all victims, citing privacy concerns.
Other news in this section
