At least 22 people killed in restaurant fire in China

A fire that broke out at a restaurant in Liaoyang city, in China's northeastern Liaoning province, on Tuesday killed 22 people and injured three others. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an urgent investigation into the cause of the fire.

The fire started at 12:15 local time in a restaurant located in a residential area of ​​the city.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but images from the scene show large flames shooting out of the windows and doors of a three-story building. The fire also spread to dozens of vehicles parked nearby.

22 people died and 3 injured after a #fire broke out at a restaurant near a resettlement housing complex in Liaoyang, #Liaoning Province. The investigation is ongoing. #China pic.twitter.com/AfFQ2zPS12

— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) April 29, 2025

"22 fire engines and 85 firefighters were deployed on the scene," said Hao Peng, secretary of the Communist Party of China's Liaoning provincial committee.

He added that rescue operations at the scene have been completed and that all people have been evacuated.

This incident is the latest in a series of serious fires and explosions that have occurred in China in recent years. In April, 20 people died in a fire at a nursing home in the northern province of Hebei.

Last year, at least two serious explosions occurred in residential areas due to gas leaks. /Telegraph/