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Fire trucks and ambulances arrive at the scene after a fire broke out at a mixed-use commercial and residential building in the city of Xinyu in East China’s Jiangxi Province on January 24, 2024. Photo: Screenshot from Sina Weibo

China released an investigation report on a major fire accident in a commercial and residential building in the city of Xinyu in East China’s Jiangxi Province in January that killed 39 people and injured another nine. 

The tragic fire accident happened in the basement of the complex in Xinyu around 3:30 pm on January 24. The ground floor of this building houses a supermarket, while upstairs, there is a hotel and a training institution. Some students attending training sessions were unfortunately among the casualties. 

The investigation team set up by the State Council identified the fire as a production safety accident, China Central Television reported on Saturday. 

According to the report, the building’s landlord had illegally leased the basement, and an unauthorized cold storage facility was being constructed when the fire started. 

The report also revealed multiple violations, such as major defects in the building’s fire prevention system, illegal operation of an educational training center and a hotel, and the failure of local authorities to fulfill their supervisory and management duties. 

The direct cause of the disaster found by the investigation team showed that the illegal construction of a cold storage facility in the basement involved the use of polyurethane foam sealant during the construction process, which released flammable gases that accumulated to combustible levels. 

Then plastic film used in the construction process generated static electricity which caused a discharge that ignited the accumulated flammable gases, quickly setting fire to the polyurethane foam and other flammable materials, producing a large amount of toxic smoke. 

The shared evacuation stairway between the basement and the ground, lacking proper fire barriers, enabled the smoke to quickly spread to the second floor.

Security bars and advertising signs installed outside the second-floor training school hindered the students from escaping quickly, contributing to the higher casualty count. 

Ten people suspected of major liabilities in the case have been investigated, and 55 local officials have been held accountable for their part in the incident, Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday. 

In response to the problems revealed by the accident, the investigation team identified five key lessons, including eliminating safety hazards, learning from the incident, strictly enforcing safety responsibilities, closely monitoring grassroots details, and improving emergency response capabilities. 

Meanwhile, the investigation team put forward recommendations for rectification and preventive measures, including strengthening safety management throughout the entire chain and life cycle of cold storage facilities, and reinforcing safety management in key venues, such as those with mixed-use operations. 

Global Times