Argument with friends led to deadly arson at karaoke bar

A man accused of killing 18 people in an arson attack at a karaoke bar in southern China started the blaze shortly after an argument with friends, authorities said on Wednesday.

Liu Chunlu, 32, is alleged to have blocked the venue’s only exit with his motorcycle and set the vehicle on fire in the early hours of Tuesday in Yingde, Guangdong province.

Fifteen men and three women died. Most were local residents. One was from Dongguan and another was from Shantou, both cities in Guangdong, a police statement said.

Two people with breathing problems were taken to Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital for treatment, and three others were being treated at Yingde People’s Hospital.

Authorities have said that Liu, a native of Yingde, has confessed to starting the fire after consuming alcohol and arguing with friends.

Tan Yunmei, the suspect’s mother, told Chongqing Evening News that her son had been drinking and singing at the karaoke bar with a waitress he had met two months ago through the bar’s owner.

Liu liked the woman, according to his father, Liu Linyou, who said his son had started drinking alcohol after a divorce several years ago. However, the waitress did not like him, according to Liu’s cousin, Tan Dongfang.

Tan said Liu had an argument with the waitress before torching his motorcycle. The KTV bar’s owner and a waitress escaped the fire.

Liu attended a vocational school after studying at a junior high school for one year. He worked as a mechanic, an electrician and a construction laborer, his parents said.

After working for about two weeks at a construction site after Spring Festival, Liu returned home to help his family grow vegetables, Chongqing Evening News reported.