Dozens in China disciplined over deadly January fire

Chinese authorities have disciplined more than 50 officials and arrested 10 people suspected of criminal liability in a deadly fire that killed dozens in January, state media reported Saturday.

The fire in the city of Xinyu in central China's Jiangxi province trapped many people, killing 39 and injuring nine.

Public prosecutors approved the arrest of 10 people, including representatives of the businesses that owned the store and hotel where the blaze took place, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Multiple officials from the local government have been sacked, with a total of 55 public officials "seriously held accountable", CCTV said.

State news agency Xinhua reported at the time that the cause of the blaze had been the "illegal" use of fire by workers in the building's basement.

The Jiangxi government has since vowed to "fully protect the safety of local residents' lives and property", CCTV said.

Fires are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement.

The Jiangxi fire occurred the same month as a late-evening blaze at a school in central China's Henan province that killed 13 children as they slept in a dormitory.

In July, a fire killed at least 16 people at a mall in the southwestern Sichuan province.