Firefighters' deaths in building collapse prompt debate

A firefighter sheds tears for the lives lost in the fire in Harbin city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Jan 3, 2015. [Photo/IC]

The deaths of five firefighters during the New Year holiday in Northeast China have raised questions among the public about the level of professionalism among the country's firefighters.

The fire, which occurred on Friday afternoon at a ware-house in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, caused the collapse of the building that housed the warehouse eight hours after the fire began. The collapse killed the five firefighters and injured 13 other firefighters and a security guard.

All residents of the building and nearby had been safely evacuated, according to a statement from the local government. The cause of the accident was under investigation, the statement said.

The firefighters, who were between the ages of 18 and 22, were buried by debris while trying to extinguish the blaze, local authorities told Xinhua News Agency. The warehouse occupied the first three floors of the 11-story building; the other eight floors were residential.

The Ministry of Public Security has urged firefighting authorities nationwide to conduct thorough inspections to eliminate potential fire hazards.

"I think it was my cousin's duty to obey the order from his superior and run into the building to put out the fire," said a cousin of Zhang Xiaokai, one of the firefighters who was killed.

"However, I still want to know why he was ordered to go inside the warehouse (as there was nobody trapped). Why couldn't they stay outside the building and use the fire hose to put out the fire?" said the cousin, who declined to give his name.