2000 Luoyang Christmas fire

2000 Luoyang Christmas fire
Date December 25, 2000 (2000-12-25)
Time 9:35 pm
Location Luoyang, People's Republic of China
Casualties
309 dead[1]

The 2000 Luoyang Christmas fire was a fire that occurred in Luoyang, People's Republic of China on Christmas Day (December 25) in 2000.

Contents

Incident

A fire at the Dongdu building broke out at 9:35 p.m. local time, trapping construction workers on the second and third floors. It was extinguished by 12:45 a.m Tuesday.[2] Some 800 police officers and firefighters and 26 fire engines rushed to the scene after receiving the call. Leading government officials of Henan Province and the city of Luoyang, including Governor Li Keqiang, went to the scene to direct rescue work.

A total of 309 people were killed in the fire: 135 male and 174 female. Among the dead were both construction workers working on the second and third floors and nightclub patrons who were attending a gala celebration for Christmas Day at a dancing hall on the fourth floor.[3]

Aftermath

An emergency meeting was held early Tuesday morning in the province and in the afternoon, Shi Wanpeng, vice-minister of the State Economic and Trade Commission, also arrived in Luoyang. To prevent similar accidents, the Ministry of Public Security released an urgent circular, asking local governments to spare no efforts to ensure safety during the New Year's Day and the Spring Festival holidays.[3]

See also

China portal
Fire portal

References

  1. ^ International Herald Tribute. "IHT.com." Blaze in Chinese dance club kills 44. Retrieved on 2008-09-27.
  2. ^ CNN. "cnn.com." Christmas Day blaze kills at least 309 in central China. Retrieved on 2008-09-27.
  3. ^ a b People's daily. "english.peopledaily.com." Big Fire in Luoyang Cleaned Up, 309 Suffocate. Retrieved on 2008-09-27.