Police in southern China have arrested a man suspected of starting a blaze in a karaoke lounge that killed 18 people

The suspect's arrest on Tuesday came shortly after authorities offered a reward for information on his whereabouts. The fire in the city of Qingyuan in southeastern China broke out just after midnight in a three-storey building, police said on their official account on China's Weibo platform, adding that five people were injured. A preliminary investigation found that the fire was caused by arson, the Qingyuan public security department said on its Weibo social media account. It did not provide a motive for the arson, but state broadcaster China Central Television reported the suspect had set fire to a karaoke parlour after an argument with others. Police said the suspect was captured in a village district, shortly after authorities offered a 200,000 yuan ($32,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of a man identified as a 32-year-old with burn marks on his hips. The police statement did not describe the location of the fire but the official Xinhua news agency said it occurred in a KTV house, or karaoke lounge. The fire was put out about an hour later, and the injured had been sent to the hospital, the bureau said on its official account on the microblogging site, Sina Weibo. Deadly fires are common in China, where safety regulations are widely flouted and enforcement is often lax.
An alleged arson attack kills 18 in a karaoke lounge in Qingyuan, China. A suspect is arrested.