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2009/2/13-18 [Politics/Foreign/Asia/China] UID:52572 Activity:nil |
2/13 Follow-up for "moral of the story" guy: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7885078.stm Arrests follow China tower fire "Twelve people have been detained in connection with a fire that partly destroyed the unfinished headquarters of China's state broadcaster." Moral of the story: break the law, go to firing squad. \_ What makes you think these guys are going to the firing squad? \_ Hyperbole. Assumptions about PRC's legal system. |
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news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7885078.stm Printable version Arrests follow China tower fire Mandarin Oriental Hotel destroyed by fire The flagship Mandarin Oriental Hotel was nearly completed Twelve people have been detained in connection with a fire that partly destroyed the unfinished headquarters of China's state broadcaster. One of those being held is an official from China Central Television (CCTV), Xinhua state news agency confirmed. CCTV has apologised for setting off powerful illegal firecrackers that are blamed for sparking the Beijing blaze. A firefighter died after inhaling toxic fumes and several people were injured in the fire late on Monday. The tragedy has angered some Chinese, for appearing to show how high-profile groups can bypass normal rules. Officials from CCTV were using the new building - that housed the near-completed Mandarin Oriental hotel and a culture centre - as the backdrop for an illegal pyrotechnics display. Party that went horribly wrong One or more fireworks hit the tower, which was still under construction so the sprinkler system was not switched on. Among those detained over the incident was Xu Wei, 50, who was in charge of construction at CCTV's new site. The 12 are being held "on suspicion of creating a disturbance with dangerous materials", an official statement said. Citing police, Xinhua news agency reported separately that three other CCTV employees and eight people the station hired to set off the fireworks were also under detention. Authorities said previously the blaze was caused by fireworks that CCTV had illegally set off that were far more powerful than the public was allowed to buy. It also ignored police orders against setting off the fireworks as part of Chinese lunar new year celebrations. Advertise With Us BBC MMIX The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. |