The owner of the
Tiantan Restaurant, the site of a weekend
blast that killed 33 and injured 10 people, has been detained, with
all of his assets sealed up for future compensations for the
victims.
Investigators on the scene of the blaze announced to media
yesterday that the disaster was caused by the improper operation of
a kerosene stove by some members of the restaurant staff, who added
fuel to the stove while the flame was still burning.
The investigators have gathered enough evidence to support the
conclusion, said Wang Xiqing, a fire expert with the Ministry of
Public Security.
According to Wang, except for the fact that no kindling material
was found at the site, eyewitness reports indicated lighting at the
restaurant was not affected within 10 minutes of the fire
breaking-out. The finding dispels the rumor that the fire may have
been deliberately lit.
Other discoveries include the presence of gasoline inside the
stove, which was supposed to be fuelled by kerosene oil only.
Hitting the privately-owned restaurant, which was filled with about
300 people during the peak dining period, the fire produced
poisonous carbon monoxide fumes claiming 33 lives.
All the bodies, 15 of whom were male and 18 female, have so far
been identified. They were all natives of Heilongjiang
Province.
As
for the 10 injured during the accident, none have sustained serious
injuries.
(China Daily February 6, 2003)