4 detained over China trading company fire that killed 38
Beijing (AP): Four people have been detained over a fire at an industrial trading company in central China that killed 38 people, reports said Wednesday.
The fire Monday was caused by welding sparks that ignited cotton cloth being stored at a facility run by the firm Kaixinda, authorities said.
Two of the company's employees and two from a clothing firm were detained, Anyang Mayor Gao Yong told reporters late Tuesday, according to state media. They have not been formally arrested and there was no immediate word on what charges they may face.
In addition to the dead, two people were injured in the fire that took more than four hours to extinguish.
Gao said the city would thoroughly inspect all possible safety risks in the city of more than 5 million people in the central province of Henan.
"This accident has taken such a huge toll on human life, the lessons must be understood at a very deep level," Gao was quoted as saying.
Densely populated and economically prominent Henan has seen a number of recent deadly incidents blamed on violations of safety regulations and lax government supervision.
Five officials were arrested after a building collapse that killed 53 people on the outskirts of Henan's provincial capital Changsha in April.
The central government has pledged stronger safety measures ever since an explosion in 2015 at a chemical warehouse in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 173 people, most of them firefighters and police officers. In that case, a number of local officials were accused of taking bribes to ignore safety violations.
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MP: BJP Minister makes controversial statement involving Col. Sofia Qureshi
Says Modi sent “their own sister” to destroy terrorists
Bhopal: Kunwar Vijay Shah, a minister in the Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh government, has stirred controversy with a provocative statement made during a public event. Without naming Indian Army officer Colonel Sofia Qureshi, the minister made remarks that have drawn criticism for being communal and derogatory in tone.
Addressing a gathering, Vijay Shah claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken a symbolic step to avenge the mistreatment of Indian women by sending "a sister from their community" to confront those responsible. His reference, believed to be directed towards Colonel Sofia Qureshi, suggested that the officer was sent on a military aircraft to retaliate against Pakistan-based terrorists for previous attacks and alleged atrocities.
“The Pakistanis had stripped people from our country. The terrorists said ‘tell Modi we have killed Hindus and stripped them’. That’s why PM Modi sent their sister in an army plane to teach them a lesson,” Shah said in his speech.
He further added, “Those who had destroyed the vermilion of our sisters, we sent their own sister to beat them. Modi could not remove thier clothes, so he sent their sister – from their caste and community – to take revenge and strip them.”
The minister also praised the Prime Minister’s leadership, saying only someone with a "56-inch chest" could take such decisions. “Modi said he would reduce them to dust. The terrorists were sitting in their homes and they were beaten. We are proud that Narendra Modi is our Prime Minister and that we are safe under his leadership,” Shah said.
The remarks have sparked outrage on social media, with many calling them insensitive, communal, and disrespectful to the armed forces. Critics have pointed out that using the identity of a decorated army officer to make political or communal statements is inappropriate and undermines the professionalism of India’s defence forces.
There has been no official response from Colonel Sofia Qureshi or the Indian Army regarding the remarks.
This is a BJP MLA from Madhya Pradesh, Kunwar Vijay Shah.
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) May 13, 2025
In this speech referring to Colonel Sofia Qureshi , he is saying that “ Modiji sent the Pakistanis their own sister to teach them a lesson”
Colonel Qureshi made India proud, roared like a lioness for India and this the… pic.twitter.com/EBHuQ3ycvd
