SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- The high death toll in a Chinese shopping mall fire that killed 54 people was partly due to a delay in raising an alarm, the government said Friday.
Investigators say a cigarette that ignited materials in a storeroom caused the blaze Sunday in the northeastern city of Jilin. A man has been detained, but authorities have not said whether he was accused of intentionally starting the fire.
In Jilin, ``experts said the fact that no one raised the alarm in time was the main reason for the large number of deaths,'' the official Xinhua News Agency said without providing other details.
Earlier reports also said no one used fire extinguishers at the mall.
Xinhua said families would receive compensation of at least $9,700 for each victim, and the mall's owners will pay medical expenses.
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