Liu Yuenan, head and also legal representative of the Arts Kindergarten attached to the Jiangxi Provincial Radio and TV Development Center, was arrested Thursday for being responsible for a major kindergarten fire in early June that left 13 children dead and one injured.
Liu is the fourth person to be detained for causing the kindergarten tragedy. Before Liu, three other workers, including two nurses, were also detained on the same day the fire took place.
Investigations have proved that during his tenure, Liu, who is also in charge of the Jiangxi Provincial Radio and TV Development Center, failed to carefully execute his duties as a leading official, violated a number of decrees, and failed to work out fire control and security measures.
Liu also failed to assign fire control and security people at different locations within his entire establishment, and failed to carry out education on security knowledge among workers, especially kindergarten teachers, according to their respective work characteristics.
Liu was responsible for employing untrained people, like Wu Zhiying, to be nurses at the kindergarten operated by his center, said the investigation report.
On June 5, a fire broke out as flammable materials from a cot fell on burning mosquito-repellent incense which was placed in the aisle of the children's dorm.
Thirteen children aged between 3 and 4 were killed in the disaster, largely due to suffocation, while another child was injured.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/09/2001)
