2010-11-18 06:50

Shanghai - China has ordered a nationwide overhaul of fire-control measures a day after a blaze at a Shanghai high-rise claimed 53 lives.

Monday's inferno in the 28-story residential building had residents attempting desperate jumps to safety or seeking refuge on rickety construction scaffolding surrounding the structure, which was under renovation.

The State Council issued a circular late on Tuesday calling for a crackdown on lax observation and enforcement of fire-safety measures to "resolutely prevent and curb major fires".

The circular ordered extensive campaigns to inspect and remove fire hazards and to educate the public about fire control, as well as strict implementation of the accountability system in fire accidents.

Besides those directly responsible for serious fire accidents, local government leaders would also be held accountable, it warned.

Police have detained eight people in connection with Monday's blaze. An initial investigation has blamed the disaster on unlicensed welders, some of whom are among the detained.

The blaze is the country's worst since a shopping mall fire in the northeastern city of Jilin, which also killed 53 people, in February 2004.

More than 70 people were injured in the Shanghai fire. A total of 43 people were listed as missing.

Shanghai will launch an education program on fire control and safety inspection for project managers and workers at construction sites, according to the Shanghai Urban Construction and Communications Commission.

The commission requires all construction sites in the city to suspend work for two hours on Friday morning to inspect safety problems and rectify problems that may lead to accidents.

People in charge of those construction sites, which do not suspend work for the mandatory inspection, will face severe punishment, the commission said.

Almost all the construction sites in Jing'an district, where the blaze occurred, have suspended work since Tuesday, said Hu Cunlin, a manager of a construction site on Changde Road.

Construction project directors are required to implement the inspection and take measures to improve safety at construction sites, including backing-up scaffolds, removing flammable green veil outside scaffolds and placing at least two extinguishers in every scaffold, Hu said.

About Monday's fire, Hu said some materials caught fire and flames climbed the scaffold surrounding the building quickly.

"My friends who are in charge of construction sites in other areas in Shanghai told me that most construction sites in the city have suspended work," Hu said.

He said they are waiting for further notification from municipal construction authorities and most workers have returned home.

The building - which was under renovation to make it more energy efficient - was swathed in plastic sheeting, causing the fire to spread rapidly.

Such renovations and other building projects have picked up suddenly in Shanghai after authorities lifted a moratorium on major construction in the city center during the six-month World Expo, which ended on October 31.

Yu Ran and AFP contributed to this story.

China Daily