Indictment maps out timetable of CCTV fire

The north wing building of the new CCTV tower caught fire on February 9, 2009. Photo: AFP
LOCATION: Beijing

DATE: March 08 2010

BY: Global Times - Sun Yongjian

DETAILS: The Beijing People's Procuratorate has sued 21 suspects in the CCTV Tower fire case. Last weekend, the procuratorate released a 9page indictment, from which people can learn how the fire started.

According to the indictment, the direct cause of the fire was sparks from fireworks that dropped into a window cleaner's store, which was full of inflammables.

The document also said that Xu Wei, director of the construction site office, without authorization, planned to set off fireworks to celebrate the Lantern Festival on February 9, 2009. Two of his subordinates arranged the celebration and set off the fireworks, both were later arrested.

From December 2008 to February 2009, Xu entrusted Liu Faguo, general manager of the Beijing Supernova Media Science Development Company to import fireworks from the Sanxiang Fireworks Manufacturing Company in Liuyang, Hunan Province.

In February 2009, Liu rented trucks from a logistics company in Liuyang to transport the fireworks to Yongqing county, Hebei Province. Then the fireworks were stored in a Cgrade fireworks warehouse, but the fireworks were Agrade.

On February 7, 2009, Liu, a farmer, and two jobless men, transported the fireworks from Yongqing to the construction site. A technician from the fireworks company went to the site to place the fireworks and install the fuse.

On the night of February 9, the fireworks were set off. Liu Jun and Gao Hong, two safety production directors of the construction site did not stop it.

The fire caused 160 million yuan ($23.49 million) in losses, killed one and injured eight.