Nightclub fire kills 43 in China
By Patti Waldmeir
Published: September 22 2008 03:00 | Last updated: September 22 2008 03:00
A Chinese nightclub fire killed at least 43 people at the weekend and left 88 injured, according to Xinhua, the Chinese news agency.
The fire, at a Shenzhen club, was triggered by "fireworks", local police said. The disaster, which comes in the middle of a public crisis over tainted milk powder, highlights other public safety risks in the country.
The club, located just across the border from Hong Kong, held hundreds of people at the time of the blaze.
Fires and accidents in bars, theatres and other public places are common in China despite government pledges to improve safety.
Many are caused by negligence and lax safety procedures, such as insufficient fire extinguishers and emergency exits.
Disasters in two Chinese coal mines this weekend left at least 36 workers dead, with 35 missing, according to local media reports.
Patti Waldmeir, Shanghai