SHENYANG - A devastating fire at a restaurant in the city of Liaoyang, Northeast China's Liaoning province, has killed 22 people and injured three others, while the operator of the establishment has been detained by police, according to the city government.

The fatal blaze started at 12:25 pm on Tuesday, with a total of 22 fire trucks and 85 firefighters dispatched to the scene, where they swiftly extinguished the flames and conducted search-and-rescue operations.

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Rescue operations have now concluded. Medical experts were mobilized to treat the injured and investigations into the cause of the fire are underway.

The work safety authority under China's State Council called for an urgent investigation into the incident, seeking to speedily determine the causes of the fire.

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In addition, a working group from the Ministry of Emergency Management also rushed to the affected area to guide investigation efforts.