Police Detain Suspect in Changshu Fire That Killed 22
Police in eastern China have taken a man into custody on the suspicion that he set fire to a residential building on Sunday, killing 22 people and injuring three.
According to a statement released by the State Administration of Work Safety on Sunday, the local police in Jiangsu province spotted traces of burnt petrol at the site of the fire, a two-story building in Changshu City that housed employees of a local restaurant. The authorities also stated that the doors were locked from the outside.
The Changshu municipal government said a total of 29 tenants were inside the building at the time of the fire, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Police confirmed that a tenant surnamed Jiang is a suspect in the case, CCTV reported, quoting local authorities. According to another CCTV report, Jiang is a relative of the restaurant owner, who has also been interrogated by police.
The fire occurred at 4:32 a.m. in Building 74 of Caojing No. 2 neighborhood. Photos from the scene showed that the 200-square-meter brick-and-concrete building had bars on the windows.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Editor: Jessica Levine.
(Header image: Firemen, police, and local officials crowd around a residential building during an investigation into a fire in Changshu, Jiangsu province, July 16, 2017. Zhong Sheng/CNS/VCG)