On May 20th, a textile factory in Pingshan County, Yibin City, Sichuan Province, caught fire and blazed for a whole day and night. According to netizens, an employee of the factory set the fire after being owed wages and failing to negotiate a settlement. The suspect has been taken into custody, as reported by the police on the 22nd.
A prominent Weibo user posted on the evening of May 21st, mentioning that a fire broke out at a textile factory in Sichuan at noon and rekindled in the evening. The user expressed shock at the severity of the blaze, stating that firefighters from surrounding areas came to assist, making the situation quite frightening.
Videos circulated online show thick smoke billowing from the scene, with black smoke covering the sky several meters above. Firefighters were seen on-site working to contain the fire while a crowd of onlookers gathered in the distance. Another video captured the factory still emitting thick smoke in the evening, with a woman’s voice narrating, “It has been burning for over 10 hours since 11 o’clock in the morning…”
On May 21st, government officials of Yibin City informed DaWan News that the fire started on the noon of May 20th, initially extinguished but later reignited. As of now, there have been no reports of casualties.
As reported by Hua Shang Bao, the fire took place in an industrial park in Pingshan Town, Pingshan County, where a local textile company was located.
Regarding the cause of the fire, after the incident, online sources revealed that an employee of the textile factory had not been paid for a month, leading to an altercation when confronting the relevant parties. The employee allegedly injured the other person with a knife and then set fabrics on fire using gasoline. Some netizens mentioned a fight resulting in one person being beaten to the ground and the other setting the warehouse ablaze.
According to multiple online accounts, the employee was owed 800 yuan in wages and sought revenge by setting the factory on fire. A local informant lamented the situation, highlighting the significant losses incurred despite the company having registered capital of over two hundred million yuan and years of development. Some netizens advised caution to employers, emphasizing the importance of fair treatment to prevent drastic actions by disheartened workers.
In the early hours of May 22nd, Pingshan County Public Security Bureau reported an arson incident that occurred around 12 p.m. on May 20th. The suspect, a 27-year-old man named Wen, went to the workshop of a textile factory and ignited the fire. The fire has now been brought under control, with no reported casualties. Wen has been criminally detained, and investigations are ongoing to ascertain the motive, process of the crime, and extent of losses.