Investigators probing a fire that destroyed a Shanghai high-rise apartment block, killing at least 53 people, have said an energy-saving project that used illegal contracts, unsafe materials and unqualified workers was mainly to blame.
The blaze that gutted the 28-storey building on Monday also left 70 people injured and dozens more unaccounted for, and prompted a belated crackdown on illegal construction work and lax fire precautions.
Luo Lin, head of China’s work safety agency, said that highly flammable insulation used to help buildings meet new energy standards, illegal subcontracting and lax safety precautions were all to blame for the disaster.
