Investigations were launched into 540 fires since 2013

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Beijing, November 8 (China Youth Daily·Zhongqing Online reporter He Chunchong) On the eve of the national \"119\" Fire Safety Day, the Fire Protection Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security released to the public for the first time today information on the handling of fire-related criminal cases in recent years. Statistics show that since 2013, public security fire departments across the country have initiated investigations into 540 fire incidents that met the criteria for prosecution under the \"Provisions of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security on the Standards for Filing Cases and Prosecuting Criminal Cases under the Jurisdiction of Public Security Agencies (I)\", including 510 cases of arson and 30 cases of fire-related liability accidents. There have been 146 cases that resulted in judgments; of these, 128 were fire accidents, with 137 people held accountable for the crime of arson. In 18 cases, it was fire-related negligence that led to legal action, and 25 people were held accountable for such negligence. Since the beginning of this year (as of the end of August 2016), fire protection agencies under the national public security authorities have launched legal investigations into 85 fires that met the criteria for being classified as fire incidents or accidents resulting from negligence in fire safety, which is 18 more cases than the total number of such cases investigated last year. Among them, 76 cases were filed for the crime of arson, and 9 cases were filed for the crime of fire-related negligence; 41 persons responsible for the fires or managers of the organizations where the fires occurred were held criminally liable. Luo Yongqiang, deputy director of the Fire Department under the Ministry of Public Security, said that these fire accidents, caused by the inaction of various social entities and a lack of awareness regarding personal fire safety, not only result in losses of life and property but also serve as obstacles to the harmonious and stable development of society. “When the \"fire\" has no trace, many people turn a blind eye to it. “It was only when the “fire” appeared that many people realized the importance of taking precautions and eliminating safety hazards in advance. Luo Yongqiang emphasized that investigating crimes related to fires and fire safety negligence is an important responsibility of the fire protection agencies under the public security authorities; it not only helps to effectively crack down on fire-related illegal activities but also serves as a means of educating society. These serious accountability measures have alerted a large number of organizations in society and relevant regulatory authorities who relied on luck, and they have played a very important role in ensuring that these entities fulfill their primary responsibilities as well as their local oversight duties, thereby helping to stabilize the fire situation across the country. The Fire Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security has today ordered fire departments at all levels to step up efforts in investigating cases related to the crime of arson and crimes resulting from negligence in fire safety, to ensure that these measures are properly implemented. Great emphasis must be placed on handling local fire-related criminal cases; the administrative heads of the detachments and brigades are the primary persons responsible for such cases. For fires that meet the criteria for prosecution, after a collective decision is made, they must be submitted to the competent public security authorities for legal review; if they constitute criminal cases, they must be handled in strict accordance with the relevant procedures or referred to the appropriate departments for handling. Related case: At around 8 p.m. on May 25, 2015, a fire broke out at a senior rehabilitation center in Sanlihe Village, Qintai Sub-district, west of Lushan County, Henan Province. It resulted in 38 deaths, 4 minor injuries, 2 severe injuries, and a serious fire accident. After the accident, the relevant authorities held those responsible accountable in accordance with the law. In accordance with the accident handling recommendations issued by the Supervision Department, criminal liability is to be pursued against 31 persons responsible for the accident. Fan Huazhi, the legal representative of the Kangleyuan Nursing Home in Lushan County, and five other individuals have already been prosecuted by the procuratorial authorities for the crime of causing a serious accident. On December 8, 2015, a fire broke out in the sauna room on the second floor of the Julongyuan Business Hotel in Yanshou County, Harbin, resulting in 4 deaths (2 from falls and 2 from suffocation) and 14 injuries. According to the investigation, during the operation of the Julongyuan Business Hotel in Yanshou County, the defendant Xu Kai failed to comply with the requirements regarding fire safety, as the fire protection facilities did not meet those standards; despite being notified by the fire department to make corrections, he failed to do so ； During the management process, the defendant Zhang Qiguo, knowing of the fire safety hazards, failed to fulfill his duties to address them, resulting in a fire. The two defendants were derelict in their duties and showed disregard for the law; they violated fire safety regulations and refused to take corrective action after being notified by the fire supervision authorities, resulting in serious consequences. On May 26, 2016, the People’s Court of Yanshou County sentenced the defendants Xu Kai and Zhang Qiguo to three years in prison with a four-year suspension for the crime of fire safety negligence.