Five people face charges over deadly school fire in Henan

Five people have been subjected to criminal coercive measures on suspicion of the crime of causing a major safety incident involving educational facilities, according to a statement released by the Henan Fire and Rescue on Wednesday.

On Jan 19, 2024, a dormitory fire at a primary school in Fangcheng county, Henan province, resulted in 13 fatalities and four injuries. The statement said all victims died from smoke inhalation.

It added that the fire was caused by an eight-year-old student in the dormitory using a lighter to burn off a loose thread on his quilt. The flame ignited clothing on an adjacent wooden bed. The fire spread rapidly due to the large amount of bedding, clothes, and wood in close proximity in the room.

Li Yu, founder and de facto controller of the school; Xu Xiangyang, the school principal; Jia Xia, dormitory supervisor and headteacher for the third grade of the dormitory where the fire occurred; Li Jizhong, the registered organizer of the school; and Han Qingpo, the school's teaching and research director, have been subjected to criminal coercive measures by the Fangcheng county public security bureau on suspicion of the crime of causing a major safety incident involving educational facilities.

The statement also advised to give Party discipline punishment to 25 people, including some from the school, local education bureau, fire and rescue, natural resources, housing and urban-rural development, and civil affairs departments.

The school's operating license has been revoked, and it has been penalized for violations, including illegal educational activities, unregistered operation, unauthorized land use, unsafe building occupancy, and failure to prevent the fatal fire.

Additionally, it instructed the Fangcheng county Party committee and government to submit a thorough self-criticism report to the Nanyang Party committee and government, which was in turn instructed to give a thorough self-criticism report to the Henan Party committee and government.