About 22 people died and three injured in a restaurant fire in the north-eastern Chinese City of Liaoyang on Tuesday, local media reported.
The cause of the blaze, which broke out around midday, has not yet been determined.
Fires in public buildings are a recurring issue in China, often linked to poor enforcement of safety regulations.
President Xi Jinping, speaking in Shanghai, urged emergency responders to make every effort to treat the injured and support the victims’ families.
He also ordered a swift investigation into the cause of the fire and called on local authorities nationwide to strengthen safety measures ahead of the upcoming Labour Day holiday on May 1, a peak travel period across the country.
Liaoyang, home to approximately 1.83 million people in its wider metropolitan area, is located in Liaoning province, south of the regional capital Shenyang. (dpa/NAN)
