A fire in February in the Tiantan Hotel restaurant in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, killed 33 people, South China Morning Post said. Most of those killed and injured were customers celebrating the Chinese New Year, and the major cause of death was smoke inhalation. An investigation found that the fire started when a member of staff added kerosene to a kerosene burner being used to heat the lobby, without switching it off first.
Officials have reacted by banning the use of such burners for heating commercial premises, and are considering what charges to bring against the staff of the restaurant.