Beijing: A fire at a martial arts school in China has killed at least 18 people. Most of the dead were children living in the area. The accident happened around 3 am on Thursday. The cause of the fire is not yet clear. The Zhecheng county government said 16 people were injured and four were in critical condition.
The owner of the school was taken into police custody in the incident. Most of the dead were children between the ages of seven and 16. The Martial Arts Training Center is on the second floor. It is learned that it was difficult for the children to escape as the fire spread there. The dead have not been identified. The fire was reported at the Zhecheng Martial Arts Center.
Fires are common in China due to the construction of buildings. A fire in Henan on Christmas Eve in 2000 killed at least 309 people.
