Cause of Guangzhou highrise fire pinpointed

GUANGZHOU - Sunday's fire in a highrise building in the southern city of Guangzhou was caused by an electrical short circuit, the provincial emergency response office said on Friday.

Preliminary investigation shows Jin, a wireman, did not follow the correct procedure when installing the power supply. An inspection of the building has concluded that a total collapse is unlikely. The local public security bureau has identified eight people who may be responsible for the accident.

The fire broke out at about 6:50 p.m. on December 15 in downtown Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province and took over 11 hours for a total of 58 fire engines and 350 firefighters to put out the blaze.

Construction of the 25 storey Jianye Mansion was suspended more than 10 years ago and it was being used as a warehouse for shoes and wooden boards, according to Liang Xinyuan, a local resident.