Restaurant fire kills 17 people in northeastern China
Beijing, Sep 28: A restaurant fire killed 17 people on Wednesday in the city of Changchun in northeastern China, authorities said.
The fire was reported about 12:40 pm in a high-tech section of the Changchun New Area industrial zone, according to a social media post by the zone's management committee.
Three other people were injured and taken to a hospital for treatment, the post said. A gas explosion was initially blamed for causing the fire, according to the fire and rescue service.
Changchun is an auto manufacturing centre and the capital of Jilin province.
China, which has some of the world's most draconian anti-coronavirus restrictions, continues to suffer from deadly accidents blamed on poor design and construction, failure to observe safety requirements and insufficient inspections and enforcement.
In April, an illegally constructed block that included apartments and restaurants collapsed in the city of Changsha, killing 53 people.
And in July, a gas explosion following a partial building collapse in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin left three people missing and 11 injured.
The event remains under investigation, but it appears to point to the deterioration of infrastructure following more than three decades of breakneck economic growth that has vastly boosted living standards while often skirting safety and environmental regulation.
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FIR registered against Karnataka seer over his remarks on voting power to Muslims
Bengaluru (PTI): An FIR has been registered against Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji for his remarks on voting power to Muslims, police said on Friday.
He made the statement during a protest meeting organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh here on Tuesday against notices issued by Karnataka's Waqf board.
Urging everyone to unite to protect farmers and their land, Swamiji said that a law should be brought in where Muslims community don't have the voting power.
Stating that it should be ensured there is no Waqf board, he said someone taking away someone else's land is not "Dharma".
"...everyone should fight against injustice being caused to farmers...it is said that the Waqf board can claim anyone's land. It is a big injustice...someone taking away someone else's land is not Dharma... So, everyone should fight to ensure that farmers' land remains with them," the seer had said.
However, on Wednesday, Swamiji expressed regret over his statement, calling it a "slip of tongue".
He said Muslims are also citizens of this country, and they too have voting rights like others.
Based on the complaint by a social worker, the FIR was registered against him on Wednesday at Upparpet police station here, police said.
"We have registered a case against him (Swamiji) under section 299 (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita," a senior police officer said.
