Electrical fires plague China's cultural relics

In 2014, a blaze destroyed nearly two-thirds of well-preserved Tibetan homes in Shangri-la county of Yunnan.[Photo by Qu Mingfei/Asianewsphoto]

China's cultural heritage authority said on Wednesday that electrical fires are to blame for 40 percent of fire accidents affecting the country's heritage buildings.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage said it will covertly investigate cultural sites across the country on their fire protection measures and draft relevant technical protocols.

Meanwhile, the country will invest more in fire-protection infrastructure in historical cities, villages and ancient building sites to rule out fire threats in three to five years, according to the Administration.

On Saturday, Gongchen Tower, a 600-year-old city gate tower in Southwest China's Yunnan province, burned down in a fire caused by an electrical wire fault.

The fire was put out in two hours and did not cause any casualties.

In 2014, a blaze destroyed nearly two-thirds of well-preserved Tibetan homes in Shangri-la county of Yunnan.

Official statistics showed that from 2010 to 2013, 52 fires that endangered cultural relics were reported to the administration.