Fire at China nursing home kills 38
A fire at an aged care home in China's central Henan province killed 38 people, state media said, the latest disaster in a country with a poor record on work safety.
The fire broke out late on Monday at a private nursing home in Lushan county, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday, citing local authorities.
The cause of the fire, which injured six people, was unclear, Xinhua said. Authorities had taken 12 people into custody and were searching for another three, the news agency said, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing.
Underscoring the gravity of the incident, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged officials to "identify the cause of the accident and pursue culpability in accordance with the law", Xinhua said.
China has a history of similar disasters. Workers are often poorly trained or ill-equipped to protect themselves from accidents.
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