Blaze in food factory leaves 18 workers dead, 13 injured
Print Edition
EIGHTEEN people have been confirmed dead following a fire at a vegetable packing workshop in east China’s Shandong Province on Sunday, local government officials said yesterday.
The blaze broke out at 7pm at Longyuan Food Co Ltd premises in Shouguang. The flames had been extinguished by 9:30pm, but all that remained of the workshop was the steel frame and some metal sheeting.
Preliminary investigations show the blaze was caused by a faulty freezer.
There were 136 people at work, with 105 managing to escape without injury. Some victims died at the scene while others succumbed after they were taken to hospital, staff at Shouguang People’s Hospital told news website thepaper.cn.
Thirteen people are being treated for their injuries. One is in a serious condition while another, at Shouguang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, sustained injuries that are life-threatening, Xinhua news agency reported.
Company bosses are being questioned by police, and an investigation to determine the cause of the fire is underway.
A China Central Television report said emergency exits weren’t seen at the workshop and workers had been standing close to each other, which would have added to difficulties in escaping.
Founded in 1998, Longyuan has 200 employees and an annual capacity of 50,000 tons of vegetables. It sells produce at home and abroad, exporting to countries including Japan, Singapore, Russia and Canada.
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