Gas explosion, arson ruled out as causes of northern China restaurant fire that killed 22, injured 3

Official reports say authorities in northern China have ruled out a gas explosion or arson as possible causes of a restaurant fire that killed 22 people and prompted a call from the country's leader Xi Jinping to focus on safety during the upcoming May Day holiday.

Xi called for measures to prevent major accidents to “ensure public safety and social stability” during the upcoming five-day May Day holiday, in a directive carried by state media following the restaurant fire. Holidays and the attendant crowds have in the past caused stampedes, fires and transport accidents.

Investigators are looking at discarded cigarettes and electrical short circuits as possible causes of Tuesday's inferno, which began around noon and was fed by high winds and flammable decor. The fire started near the main entrance, trapping many inside the restaurant, which apparently had no emergency exit.

The restaurant’s manager is being held by police, but it wasn't clear whether he had been charged with any crime.

Industrial accidents occur frequently in China, usually related to a lack of safety measures and illegal construction and storage.

Separately, 17 people were injured Wednesday in an explosion at a residential community of apartments in the northwestern city of Taiyuan. The cause remains unknown.