Roughly 100 people have been detained and 300 businesses shut down since the launch of a citywide crackdown on fire safety.

Operation Liang Jian - literally "showing the sword" - was launched on April 26, a day after 18 workers were killed in an inferno at a factory in Daxing district. It will run until the end of this month.

Firefighters organized in about 1,000 small teams have investigated 17,000 high-risk structures, say city officials, with fines totaling 4.5 million yuan already issued to offenders.

Key venues targeted include enterprises with production and operation areas smaller than 150 square meters, such as bars, hostels and restaurants; rental apartments; buildings that combine more than three functions, such as production workshops, warehouses and dormitories; high-rise towers and underground spaces, and construction sites.

According to statistics released by the city's fire bureau, most problems were found in hostels, bathhouses, restaurants, free markets and dormitories. Potential safety hazards included blocked or insufficient emergency exits, materials that fail to meet construction standards, illegal building extensions and dorms, that double as workshops.

"Preventing large fires is imperative for Beijing right now," said Liu Jinguo, vice-minister of public security at the press conference on April 27 about investigations into the Daxing blaze.

Thirteen of the 24 wounded survivors of the incident were still in critical conditions on Tuesday.

China Daily

(China Daily 05/04/2011 page)