The fire at a kindergarten in Jiangxi Province, east China, Tuesday morning, was caused by mosquito-repellent incense which was burning under beds in the children's dormitory, investigations have shown.
The fire killed 13 children, largely due to suffocation. Four children in the same dorm escaped the fire, with one running away by himself and three being saved by rescuers, sources said.
When the fire occurred, no teachers were on duty. Three teachers held responsible for the fire were detained Tuesday afternoon.
When the fire broke out at the Jiangxi Radio and TV Arts Kindergarten, 304 people, including teachers, caretakers on internship and a chef stayed in the building.
So far, all the boarders have been evacuated from the accident site. The kindergarten has been temporarily closed.
The investigation was still going on. The Jiangxi Bureau of Radio and Television Industry, which owns the kindergarten, has formed 13 conciliation groups to comfort the victims’ families and deal with compensation.
(Xinhua 06/05/2001)
