On June 19, a fire broke out at the Hongda International Car Industry Square in Jinshui District, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, resulting in 2 deaths and 2 injuries. After more than a month, local police announced on July 22 that the incident was arson, and the suspect Lu has been arrested.
The Zhengzhou Public Security Bureau Jinshui Branch reported on July 22 that the fire caused 2 fatalities, 2 injuries, and property damage. It was found that Lu set the fire due to a business dispute, and Lu has been arrested on suspicion of arson. However, the report did not provide details of the dispute or the amount of property damage, only stating that the case is still under investigation.
According to a post by the NetEase author “Mr. Wang’s Afternoon Tea,” the fire occurred suddenly, and the location of the business mall in the bustling section of Zhengzhou’s main urban area led to many shops and warehouses being concentrated in the area. This resulted in many livelihoods being destroyed in an instant and posed a significant threat to neighboring residents. Following the fire, officials from relevant departments in Zhengzhou were summoned for questioning.
However, less than 20 days after the fire at the Hongda Car Industry Square, a serious fire broke out in Room 628, Building A, of the Heyue Longyue Community in Zhengzhou on July 6, resulting in 5 fatalities and 1 injury.
With the occurrence of these two fires, several markets in Zhengzhou were required to suspend operations for rectification. Businesses in wholesale markets such as Wuzhou City, Yellow River Food City, and the Chenzhai Flower Market received temporary notices to cease operations. These businesses could only sell their remaining stock on the streets, incurring substantial losses.
Apart from the markets, establishments like the Friendship Building in the Erqi Commercial District of Zhengzhou were also ordered to suspend operations for rectification. Education and training institutions were required to conduct comprehensive inspections, and some local kindergartens were told to suspend classes.
In response to these measures, “Mr. Wang’s Afternoon Tea” expressed that these actions were remedial measures taken by Henan province in response to the frequent fires. However, for many practitioners, it felt like adding insult to injury.