Safety screening stressed after Henan fire kills 38

President Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts to treat the injured, comfort affected families, properly handle the aftermath and bring those accountable to justice after a factory fire killed 38 people in Henan province.

The fire broke out at 4:22 pm on Monday at a two-story garment workshop in Wenfeng district of Anyang, local authorities said. The blaze was extinguished around midnight following efforts that involved 63 firetrucks and 240 firefighters.

Eighty-nine people managed to escape, including two who received minor injuries. The injured were all sent to a hospital and were in stable condition.

Noting that the Anyang fire was among a spate of workplace accidents that have occurred recently, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said such accidents have resulted in heavy casualties and taught sobering lessons.

The president ordered all-out efforts to identify the cause and hold those responsible to account according to the law.

As the end of the year approaches, local governments and government bodies face the heavy task of coordinating economic development and production safety management. Xi urged them to screen for safety hazards in a thorough manner to resolutely prevent and curb the occurrence of serious and major accidents, adhering to the principle of always putting people's interests first and emphasizing that nothing is more precious than people's lives.