Police and cadres held over fatal cinema blaze

Twenty-four people have been held for the cinema fire in Jiaozuo city Henan which killed 74 people, official media reported yesterday.

Half of those held were officials and police who allegedly accepted favours from the cinema, which showed pornographic films, for not enforcing safety rules.

The remaining 12 included Han Benyu, the boss of Tiantang cinema, and 11 of his staff, Xinhua said.

Xinhua said last Wednesday's blaze was started by a heater in one of the 28 video rooms of the cinema. The agency said the device overheated and caused nearby furniture to catch fire.

While the agency said the cinema had violated fire-safety regulations, it also said officers 'grossly failed' to carry out the necessary inspection.

Local media reports in Henan said that the cinema - although it was poorly equipped for fire safety - was up and running because its boss, Han, had bribed a clerk at the local police station to fabricate the necessary documents. The clerk, Zhao Suxia, has been held for investigation.

According to the Xinhua report yesterday, Tiantang cinema had been privately run by Han since September 1998.