25 Killed in Chinese Karaoke Bar Explosion

by Brian A Kennedy | July 5, 2007 at 05:32 am

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An explosion in a karaoke bar in the town of Tianshifu, Liaoning province, killed 25 revellers and injured 33. Cause of the blast is currently unknown. China's suffered a string of such accidents in recent years, probably due to the country's massive rate of development and less-than-tight security standards.

A blast in a karaoke parlor in northeast China killed 25 people and injured 33, state media reported Thursday.

Xinhua News Agency did not give a cause for the Wednesday night blast in Tianshifu township in Liaoning province.

China has suffered a string of blasts, fires and accidents in shopping malls, cinemas and other public places despite repeated government promises to improve safety. Many are blamed on lax safety procedures and negligence.

In 2005, a fire in an illegally run bar in the southern city of Zhongshan killed 26 people. Local officials said the bar lacked fire extinguishers and its emergency exit was too narrow.

In China's worst recent nightclub disaster, a fire blamed on a welding accident tore through a disco in the central city of Luoyang in December 2000, killing 309 people.