Police in Zhongshan have arrested four brothers for operating an unlicensed Tanzhou township bar where 26 people died and 11 were hurt in a fire on Sunday night.
Xinhua quoted police as saying Lin Hanwen , Lin Hanzhong and Lin Hanlong were detained early on Monday, while the fourth brother, Lin Hanwu , was being treated for injuries suffered in the fire.
Police said the brothers should shoulder the main responsibility for the blaze because they ran the bar illegally and paid little attention to fire prevention.
But some nearby residents yesterday wondered how the bar could have operated for at least three years without a licence.
The Zhongshan municipal government confirmed the number of casualties in the fire remained unchanged and the 11 injured customers were still receiving treatment.
Refusing to disclose any further details, the municipal government said Guangdong provincial authorities had sent a group of specialists to investigate and would announce any developments.
