BEIJING  

Chinese police have arrested five suspects over a warehouse fire that left 17 people dead in southern Guangdong province, after a report found shortcomings in fire prevention and response at the site.

The Shanghai Daily reported Friday that the government in Huizhou city said the five included the general manager of Yidong Yiwu Ltd Co, the owner of the market in the warehouse, and employees from Jinxuan Co, which manages the market.

The fire, which broke out Feb. 5, is believed to have been started by a cigarette lighter that a 9-year-old boy had been playing with.

While 17 people died in the accident, five were rescued by firefighters – four of whom sustained injuries in the operation.

The Daily cited the Huizhou government’s report as saying the market had failed to recognize fire hazards at the site before the fatal incident, with its response also being deemed “improper.”

Last month, 38 people were killed when a fire broke out at a Chinese nursing home in central Henan province. A preliminary investigation by China’s top safety watchdog found that poor building quality and lax safety management were to blame for the accident.

Sun Huashan of the State Administration of Work Safety had said that the investigation had shown the lack of safety checks, strict fire and electricity management and efficient emergency response at the buildings. Sun had also cast blame on government departments for their failure to properly enforce laws.