12 arrested over lethal CCTV tower blaze

Police probing a lethal blaze that destroyed a China Central Television (CCTV) tower during a firework display have arrested 12 people, including the former head of the company's construction office.

All were held on suspicion of "causing an accident with dangerous articles" in a move sanctioned by the Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate.

As well as the ex-chief of construction, Xu Wei, those formally arrested included three employees of the construction team and eight workers from Hunan Sanxiang Fireworks Company, based in Hunan province, the firm that supplied the fireworks, reported Xinhua News Agency.