Standards raised for fire probes nationwide

Two sources of fire risks - skyscraper-dense cities, and villages with limited access to firefighting equipment - are priorities in China's fire-control campaign, according to a senior official, and more rigorous investigations will be undertaken by local governments when fires result in injuries or fatalities.

Yu Jianhua, director of the firefighting department of the Ministry of Public Security, said at a news briefing on Friday that more investigations with stricter standards will be conducted in cases of fires that have casualties.

The State Council will organize investigations into fires that cause more than 30 deaths, Yu said, while provincial-level governments must investigate one that kills more than 10 people but less than 30. City governments are responsible for investigating when there are four to nine deaths, and county governments must handle cases with up to three fatalities.