On October 16, the highest procuratorial authority of the Chinese Communist Party revealed that a fire in a nursing home in Guangdong in April 2024 resulted in the deaths of 4 individuals. The main cause was the unmanned control room and the lack of water in the automatic sprinkler pipes, leading to the failure of the fire extinguishing system. The legal representative of the nursing home was sentenced to only one year in prison due to “actively compensating and obtaining forgiveness”, which immediately sparked widespread controversy.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media such as “Extreme News”, the fire broke out at around 4:12 am on April 4, 2024, on the third floor of Room 303 at Kangyi Nursing Home in Wanjiang Street, Dongguan (a publicly funded private nursing home). The fire was caused by an elderly resident on bed No. 9 in that room who ignited combustible materials such as bedding with a lighter.
The investigation report revealed that at the time of the incident, there was no one on duty in the fire control room, failing to detect the fire promptly. Additionally, there was actually no water in the pipes of the automatic sprinkler fire extinguishing system, rendering the sprinkler devices ineffective in fighting the fire.
Furthermore, the company involved had improperly converted Room 303, originally designed as an escape area, into a recuperation room, and unlawfully installed oxygen pipes. The oxygen supply device was burned during the fire, causing oxygen leakage and triggering an “oxygen-rich effect”, leading to the rapid spread of the fire on-site.
Although the fire area was only about 20 square meters, as most residents were elderly people with disabilities or limited mobility, it ultimately resulted in the deaths of 4 individuals, including the elderly resident who started the fire, and injuries to 9 others, with direct economic losses amounting to 2.8017 million RMB.
On December 20, 2024, the legal representative of the nursing home, Chen, was referred to the procuratorate for prosecution on suspicion of a major liability accident crime.
In June 2025, the Dongguan First People’s Court held a first-instance trial, finding Chen guilty of illegal reconstruction and negligence in fire management, holding him responsible for secondary liability in the accident. However, considering factors such as “confession, pleading guilty, and compensation and forgiveness”, Chen was ultimately sentenced to one year in prison (without parole). After the first trial verdict was announced, the defendant did not appeal, and the procuratorate did not lodge an appeal, making the judgment final.
The disclosure of this case has caused a stir on the internet. Netizens have expressed various opinions, with some questioning the living conditions in a room of only 20 square meters accommodating 13 elderly people in a nursing home. Others sarcastically remarked, “Is this a self-built residence?” and emphasized the necessity of fire alarm systems, automatic sprinkler fire extinguishing systems, and automatic smoke exhaust systems in elderly care facilities.
Some netizens believe that sentencing to just one year in prison for indirectly causing the deaths of 4 individuals is too lenient and fails to deter unscrupulous businesses in the industry.
“The owner of the nursing home should bear more than 60% of the responsibility. The sentence is too lenient, it’s deceiving people!”
“This kind of responsibility should be more than 10 years, it’s about respect for human life.”
Some internet users cynically say, “When the money is in place, there’s nothing that can’t be settled.”