24 face trial for high-rise building blaze

SHANGHAI - Twenty-four people will soon face prosecution for the part they are suspected of playing in a blaze that killed 58 Shanghai residents last year, the prosecutor-general of the city has said.

Chen Xu, head of Shanghai Municipal People's Procuratorate, said local prosecutors recently investigated and arrested eight suspects on charges of bribery and abuse of power.

That crackdown came not long after the same authorities had approved the arrest of 16 people suspected of responsibility in the fire, which took place on Nov 15.