Twenty-two people died in a fire at a restaurant in the northeastern Chinese city of Liaoyang on Tuesday. According to Beijing's official broadcaster, three people were injured in the incident. The city of Liaoyang is located about 580 kilometers northeast of the capital Beijing.

The midday fire was brought under control after about two hours. Chinese President Xi Jinping said the fire had caused "significant loss of life" and was "extremely serious".

Due to the fierce fire in the two-story restaurant, thick black smoke was seen in the surrounding sky, according to Chinese TV CCTV. In China, lax building codes often lead to lax safety. This month Also, 20 people died in a fire in a nursing home in Hebei province of northern China. 

Similarly, eight people died and 15 were injured in a fire in a vegetable market in Zhangjiakou, northwest of Beijing, last January. A month before that, 9 people died in a fire at a construction site in the city of Rongcheng in eastern China.