11 killed, 24 injured in Karaoke bar fire in China

Police and fire personnel inspect the site of fire in a karaoke bar in the Huangguan karaoke bar in Changyuan County, central China’s Henan Province, Monday, Dec. 15, 2014. The fire in the bar in northern China killed 11 people on Monday, local authorities said. (Source: AP)

At least 11 people were killed and 24 others injured when a fire broke out at a karaoke bar in central China’s Henan province early on December 15.

Some 35 people were rushed to an area hospital after the fire broke out at the Huangguan bar in Changyuan County. The 24 injured, including 13 in serious conditions, were being treated at the hospital, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. According to the county government, the condition of one person has worsened while the rest are stable.

Police have arrested Kong Weikai, the legal representative of the bar and were identifying the dead. The blaze was doused after nearly an hour. The cause of the accident is being investigated. Bo Xuebin, the county’s Party chief, has ordered all karaoke bars in the county to suspend operation and ensure fire safety.