GUANGZHOU, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese man has pleaded guilty to starting a fire at a karaoke lounge which killed 18 people.
Procurators in south China's Guangdong Province charged defendant Liu Chunlu with arson during a court hearing held Thursday at the people's court in the city of Yingde.
At around 0:30 a.m. on April 24, Liu removed the oil pipe of his motorcycle parked at the door of the karaoke lounge in the city, allowing oil to flow onto the ground. Then, he ignited the oil with a lighter, according to the indictment.
The fire rapidly spread to the lounge and 18 people inside died of suffocation. Three others were injured by the blaze.
Liu was caught by the police at 10 a.m. the same day.
The defendant said he was angry after visiting the karaoke lounge with his friends on the night of April 23. He said that he was rejected by a waitress at the lounge and that the manager interrupted his business discussion with another guest.
The verdict of the case will be given at a later time.
