BEIJING
A fire at a nursing home in central China that left 38 people dead has prompted the country’s leaders to call for utmost efforts to tend to the injured and reach out to the families of the victims.
President Xi Jinping ordered "all-out efforts" Tuesday to treat the six wounded people and to "properly handle" the aftermath of the accident in Pingdingshan city, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Henan province’s work safety administration said the fire started at 7.55 p.m. (1255GMT) Monday in a building of a privately-owned nursing home that housed more than 100 seniors, who were divided based on whether they were able or disabled.
Xinhua reported that two of the injured were in serious condition.
Xi has demanded that a thorough investigation be conducted and those responsible be held to account. He stressed the need for health and safety departments to "bear in mind safety management" to reduce the possibility of such tragedies.
Premier Li Keqiang also called on authorities to learn from the incident and to be mindful of the need to check all potential hazards.
The fire was reportedly caused by a circuit problem, a senior witness told Henan TV’s legal channel, which reported that dozens of hemiplegic paralyzed seniors had been trapped when it sparked, as cited by the China Daily.
