5 people die as fire erupts in shop in China’s Hunan province

BEIJING – Five people died and one was injured in a blaze that broke out in a shop in the Chinese city of Hengyang, Hunan province, local authorities said, a day after the country’s deadliest coal mine explosion since 2009.

The cause of the fire at the store in Hengyang is under investigation, according to a statement on the municipal government’s Wechat account.

At least 82 people died in May 22’s gas explosion at the privately owned Liushenyu mine in Qinyuan County, Shanxi province, Xinhua reported. The cause of the blast is under investigation and officials with the company have been detained, state media said.

Authorities in Shanxi will immediately launch province-wide inspections targeting risks at coal mines, including gas, water hazards and roof conditions, Shanxi Daily reported on May 24, citing the region’s Communist Party Secretary Tang Dengjie and Governor Lu Dongliang.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for stricter inspections and hazard controls countrywide, and urged heightened vigilance during the current season, when heavy rain and floods are more common.

Torrential rain in Chongqing’s Yongchuan district triggered flooding and landslides on May 23 after rainfall approached 300mm within hours, China Central Television reported.

One person died in the storm and 17 are still missing as rescue crews continued search efforts. BLOOMBERG