Local officials said Thursday a preliminary investigation pointed to the cause of a deadly fire at a shop in southeastern China: unauthorized welding work in the basement.
The fire killed 39 people and injured nine others Wednesday in the Yushui district of Jiangxi province.
Officials said Thursday that rescue efforts have been completed and no one else remained trapped in the building.
The fire came days after a blaze at a boarding school in Henan province that killed 13 children.
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a statement after Wednesday’s fire calling on the government to “resolutely curb the frequent occurrence of various safety accidents and ensure the safety of people’s lives and property and overall social stability.”
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters
