Karamay fire

From Wiki China org cn

A fire broke out in a theater holding 796 people in Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Dec. 8, 1994.

The curtain caught fire because of spotlights near the stage. Once the fire expanded, the electricity short-circuited, and the auditorium was soon engulfed in flames.

The fire resulted in 325 deaths, with 288 of them being school children in attendance for the special variety performance.