A Christmas celebration turned into a tragedy when 26 people were killed and 11 injured in a bar fire on Sunday night in the South China city of Zhongshan, Guangdong Province.

About 200 revellers were gathered in the bar when the fire broke out at 11:10 pm in Tanzhou township, said Pan Yibin, an eyewitness.

Official sources said that 25 people were found dead at the site and the other died at a local hospital. All the injured were being treated in hospital yesterday.

Many of the dead appeared to have died of smoke inhalation, Pan said.

The devastating fire was put out in about five minutes by 20 firemen in three fire engines who rushed to the scene in three minutes but the quick response was too late for the victims.

The bar occupies the first two floors of a five-story building, and 241 square meters of space was burnt to cinder.

An official with the Zhongshan municipal government's information office, who did not want to be identified, said that the bar was not licensed, and its owner had been detained. He said that the municipal authorities had set up a special group to deal with the aftermath of the accident.

Pan said he and his friends were lucky to escape because they turned up late on Sunday night and could find a table only near the entrance on the ground floor they fled as soon as the fire started.

He said a gas explosion in the kitchen might have caused the tragedy but other eyewitnesses said that a short circuit in the wiring ignited the fire.

Police are investigating and a report is expected in a week.

A provincial medical expert team has arrived in Zhongshan to help with the treatment of patients.

The city authorities have launched an investigation to check for any potential hazard and ensure that safety measures are adequate in hotels, restaurants and entertainment facilities.

In June, a hotel blaze caused by a short circuit in Shantou in the east of the province killed 31 people and wounded 21.

Source: China Daily