Tragedy in Liaoning: Restaurant Blaze Claims 22 Lives in China’s Latest Fire Disaster

A devastating fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon in a restaurant located in a residential district of Liaoyang City, in northeastern China’s Liaoning Province, killing 22 people and injuring three others. The blaze erupted at 12:25 p.m. local time, according to state broadcaster CCTV, marking another tragic addition to a growing list of fatal fires across the country. President Xi Jinping called the incident “a deeply sobering lesson” and urged authorities to treat the injured promptly, uncover the cause, and hold those responsible accountable.

Videos widely shared on social media platforms, including X and Douyin, showed intense flames consuming the building's ground-level storefront as thick smoke billowed into the air. Paramedics could be seen tending to victims on stretchers near the scene, while numerous parked vehicles surrounded the area. Although the footage has not been independently verified, it aligns with official reports of the fire’s scale and impact.

Local authorities responded quickly, deploying 22 fire trucks and a team of 85 firefighters, as confirmed by Hao Peng, the secretary of the provincial Communist Party committee. Hao stated that rescue operations at the site had concluded and evacuations were completed. While the cause of the fire remains unknown, investigations are underway as pressure mounts on officials to strengthen safety enforcement.

The Liaoning tragedy adds to a troubling pattern of deadly fires in China. In April, a fire at a nursing home in Hebei province claimed 20 lives. Similar incidents in recent years have often been linked to gas leaks or poor safety standards, including a restaurant explosion in Hebei in March last year that killed two and injured 26, and another blast in a Shenzhen high-rise that left one dead.

These repeated incidents have sparked public concern about fire safety oversight and emergency preparedness in densely populated areas. As the nation mourns another avoidable loss of life, calls are growing louder for more rigorous safety regulations and better enforcement to prevent such catastrophes from happening again.