ELEVEN people were killed when a fire broke out at a karaoke bar in Henan Province early yesterday morning, Xinhua reported.

    The dead were among 35 people who were rushed to a hospital after the fire broke out at about 12:20 a.m. inside the Huangguan KTV karaoke bar in Xinxiang in Changyuan County.

    Bo Xuebin, the county’s Party chief, has ordered the immediate closure of all KTV karaoke bars in the county while safety inspections are being carried out.

    He has also ordered safety checks to be made in all public buildings, especially those used by large groups of people.

    Bo was among a number of senior officials who rushed to the scene of the accident, a statement on the county government’s website said.

    The cause of the accident is still unknown, the official statement said.

    In 2002, 25 people were killed after a fire started in the Lanjisu Internet bar in Beijing.

    The accident led the authorities to improve safety measures in all public venues, such as Internet bars and karaoke centers. (SD-Agencies)