Fatal fires occur frequently in China, where operators of bars, cinemas, Internet cafes and other businesses often ignore fire safety rules or fail to provide emergency exits.
In December 2000, a fire at a discotheque in the central city of Luoyang killed 309 people. Investigators blamed the high death toll on locked emergency exits. Twenty-three people held responsible were sentenced to prison terms of up to 13 years.
However, such accidents are unusual in Beijing, where safety rules are more rigorously enforced.
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