The leader of the central Government team investigating the fire has urged the country to be placed on high alert to ensure safety during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Speaking in a national telephone conference, vice-director of the State Economic and Trade Commission, Shi Wanpeng, said stringent measures would be applied to avoid another tragedy in the late January holiday.
The Lunar New Year is traditionally the peak season for transport and fire accidents, when perhaps the largest annual migration in the world takes place. Explosions in firework plants are also common.
'I have just come back from the fire scene in Luoyang. This incident is devastating,' Mr Shi was quoted by state media as telling local cadres across the country. 'We should pay attention and learn from this lesson. Safety measures should never be ignored.'
Mr Shi ordered officials to check public vehicles and boats in the run-up to the holidays. Vehicles which failed the checks would be prohibited from operating, he said.
Inspectors would be deployed to stop trains, passenger vehicles or ferries from overloading. Some passengers would be asked to get off and the operators would be punished, he said.
