Briefly

SHANXI

Illegal construction to blame for fatal collapse

Frequent illegal expansions by unqualified contractors was to blame for the deadly collapse of a rural restaurant in Shanxi province that left 29 people dead, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Monday. The accident occurred on Aug 29 when family members and fellow villagers attended a birthday banquet for an 80-year-old man surnamed Li in Chenzhuang village, Xiangfen county. It also injured 28 and caused direct economic losses of about 11.6 million yuan ($1.79 million), the ministry said in a news release. The Juxian restaurant was built without approval from the local authorities and had eight illegal expansions. Its owners had also ignored punishment from the land resources authorities and a court ruling, the ministry said, while also blaming local authorities for failing to stop the owner's illegal activities.

BEIJING

North China bracing for low temperatures

Two cold fronts are forecast to sweep across northern and eastern parts of China this week, bringing gales and low temperatures, the National Meteorological Center said on Monday. Tuesday will mark the Slight Cold, the 23rd solar term according to the traditional Chinese calendar, ushering in the coldest period of the year. Temperatures in parts of northern China are likely to reach record lows over the next few days, the center said. Parts of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Tibet autonomous region and Qinghai province will see light snow over the next few days, with blizzards in some areas, it said.

China Daily - Xinhua