GUANGZHOU: The operator and caretaker of a chemicals warehouse that caught fire in Guangzhou on Wednesday have been detained.

Police are still investigating the case, according to the Guangzhou Public Security Fire Fighting Bureau.

The blaze was caused by careless handling of hydrosulphite at the warehouse on Daguan Road, Tianhe District, and forced the evacuation of more than 16,000 people on Wednesday night. Most of them were students at the two universities nearby.

The fire started at around 6 pm and was extinguished by 3 am on Thursday.

Forty-nine people were taken to hospital, and most were discharged after treatment. Two were in a critical condition but are now stable, said He, an official from the Health Bureau of Tianhe District on Friday.

The warehouse was rented by Guangzhou Ruixingtai Chemical Co Ltd without a licence, according to the Bureau of Work Safety of Guangzhou Municipality.

The chemical that caused the blaze, hydrosulphite, is used in industries such as textiles and food processing.

The government of Tianhe District said it would compensate victims for their medical expenses.

"I had never heard of the chemical warehouse before the accident," said Lin Chuguo, director of the Guangzhou Public Security Fire Fighting Bureau.

"All warehouses for chemical materials are required to report to our bureau and obtain related licences from the department of work safety," Lin said.

A worker dropped a bag of hydrosulphite on the floor outside the warehouse on Wednesday afternoon, causing the chemical to leak out and spontaneously combust as it mixed with rain water, said Yu Shuxi, a deputy director of the bureau of work safety.

Yu said the operator of the warehouse had not assigned an experienced worker or supervisor to guide chemical transportation, and appropriate management of the toxic and flammable chemical was not in place.

Source: China Daily