On September 13th, the government of Qujing City, Yunnan Province, issued a notification stating that the cause of the fire that killed 5 people in a self-built house in the Yingshang Town community of Fuyuan County, Qujing City, has been determined.
According to the accident investigation report, the self-built house where the fire originated is a 3-story steel-concrete structure built in 2001. The second floor has five rooms used for renting out, with the staircase connecting to public areas and inner corridors, while the third floor is the living area for the homeowner.
At the time of the incident, there were a total of 6 people staying in the house, including Li Mourui, two daughters of Duan Mobin – Zhao Mohan and Zhao Moya, as well as Yan Mouqiu and his two children.
After the accident, tenants Duan Mobin and his two daughters, tenant Li Mourui, and police officer Yin Mouxiong, who went to the scene to extinguish the fire, all tragically lost their lives.
The investigation report stated that the exterior walls and windows of the fire building were equipped with anti-theft windows, and the trapped individuals did not have the conditions to self-rescue and escape through the window.
When the fire brigade arrived, they lacked breaking tools, which resulted in a delay in establishing a second rescue route, intensifying the threat to human lives.
Furthermore, the kitchen in the burning room stored over a thousand pairs of shoes, mainly made of leather, which when burned, produced toxic gases posing a serious threat to the respiratory system, nervous system, and the environment.
In conclusion, the main cause of casualties was the accumulation of a large amount of cyanides such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and carbon monoxide (CO) indoors, leading to poisoning and incapacitation of the individuals, ultimately resulting in casualties.