Officials arrested over Guangzhou highrise fire

Prosecutors have approved the arrest of five government employees responsible for a fire at a high-rise building in Guangzhou City in south China's Guangdong province last year.

According to the Guangzhou People's Procuratorate on Tuesday, the five were arrested on charges of dereliction of duty and taking bribery.

Among the five suspects, one was an official of the Guangzhou Bureau of Justice and the others four were all police officers from the public security bureau of Yuexiu District.

A fire caused by an electrical short circuit broke out at the 25-story Jianye Mansion on December 15. No casualties were reported, but the accident highlighted the limited ability of some cities to control fires in skyscrapers.

The owner of the building, Li Rongqiao, has been in custody for being responsible for the fire. He was also charged a new crime of bribery, the prosecutors said.

The case is under further investigation.