A fire that broke out at the 34-storey Jiete Apartments building in Xinghai Square in Dalian - a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, the southernmost city of north-east China - has renewed concerns over fire safety in high-rise buildings.
The building was completed in 2011 and comprises mostly studio-sized apartments. The fire appears to have started on the exterior of the building and quickly spread inside. According to the local media reports, external insulating material caught fire. Even though Jiete Apartments is a premium-price property, developers commonly use cheaper materials. They are believed to frequently replace expensive fire-retardant materials with cheaper but flammable materials. However, the penalties for this type of construction fraud are too weak.
No deaths or injuries were reported.
