【新唐人2012年7月9日讯】天津蓟县莱德商厦发生大火以来，当局严格管控当地媒体对火灾进行报导，更试图封杀其他媒体和民众对火灾真相的质疑。当局警告市民，不得谈论蓟县大火，否则就会被抓。但更多的真相依然通过网络微博等，被知情者传递出来。最近官方媒体号称，火灾发生时，整个商场里只有大约50个顾客，再次引来网民嘘声一片。
7月7号，《新华网》天津频道援引莱德商厦业务副总经理王芳的话说，莱德商厦共有5层，有103个柜台、70多家商户，火灾当天商厦里有营业员和其他经营人员120多人，没有多少顾客。王芳号称，她当时在5楼，包括顾客、员工在内不超过20人，而整个商场只有大约50名顾客。
但这一说法遭到外界普遍质疑。在此之前，媒体曾经报导，当天是星期六，莱德商厦正在举办大型促销活动，所以客流量较大，火灾时大约有几百人被围困在内。
天津市民王先生：“那里头肯定人挺多的。只要不是礼拜六、礼拜天，它不促销的情况下，人不多。那天正好赶上礼拜六，打折扣，人就多。这是蓟县最大的一个商业楼。”
6月30号，天津蓟县莱德商厦发生火灾，大火持续数小时，五层商厦被烧毁。天津官方微博7月5号发布消息说，火灾造成10人死亡，16人受伤，死难者的遗体已经被认领。
但这一数字受到广泛质疑。知情人揭示，死难者远不止10人，至少有几十人，也有说，确切死亡数字多达378人，还有网友发布了一份蓟县大火部分死难者名单。
蓟县宣传部一位李姓科长对《新唐人》重复了官方的说法，并表示，直到现在没有发现失踪人员。当被问及当局严控舆论、封杀真相时，李科长则回答：“这些事情，我不清楚。”
深圳学者朱建国指出，在中国“权大于法”，只有官媒自说自话，根本没有舆论自由。
朱建国：“现在中国官场的传统那就是报喜不报忧，把成绩夸大，把事故掩盖或者是缩小，这是一个传统，这是第一个，第二个，现在十八大要召开了，大的头头想进入中南海，小的头头也想跟着一起升官，当这上下官僚的利益一致，就可能隐瞒实际死人的数字。”
火灾发生后，天津各媒体集体噤声，其他媒体记者也被禁止进行采访，最近蓟县更是被全城切断网络。知情者透露，蓟县火化场一名工作人员因无意对外披露：“当天拉过来200多具尸体”，而被拘留，蓟县医院参与抢救的人员也被要求“保密”。死难者家属则获得当局的61万元封口费，家属如不配合就会被打压。而普通民众则被警告：如果谈论蓟县大火或者在网上发言，就会被抓。
天津市民赵女士：“你不用跟我了解，我一点事都不知道，不用跟我了解了。我们都开会了，不许提这个事，提这个事就抓走。”
但当局的高压激起民众更大的愤怒，7月6号，上万市民涌上街头悼念火灾死难者、并要求彻查事件真相。同时，更多的真相也逐渐被曝光出来。
《大纪元》新闻网报导，目击者证实，大火最初是由莱德商厦南侧一台室外空调压缩机超负荷运转引起的，蓟县消防队距离火灾现场步行大约10分钟，但报警之后，大约25分钟消防车才赶到。消防队不但没有云梯和气垫，水压还不够，白白错过了30分钟的最佳救援时间，最后只能看着大火将商厦吞没。
另一件让人惊心的事情则是，火灾中商厦内大量人员被困，性命攸关，商厦总经理却担心丢失商品，而将一楼的商场大门关闭，致使很多人无法逃出。
采访/易如 编辑/李谦 后制/钟元
Truth of Tianjin Deadly Mall Fire Gradually Revealed
After a mall fire in Ji county, Tianjin, the authorities
restricted local media’s reporting.
In addition, they attempted to block other media and publics’
questions to the accident.
Local authorities warned citizens that no discussion
was allowed, otherwise they would be arrested.
However, more information about the fire was still circulated
online by insiders.
Originally official media claimed, there were only 50
customers in the mall at that time.
This aroused netizens’ angry reactions.
On July 7th, xinhuanet.com Tianjin channel cited Wang Fang,
deputy manager of the mall saying that
the five-story department store has 103 counters
with 70 retail staff.
There were 120 salespeople and other staff and
only a few customers in the mall when the fire took place.
Wang Fang claimed that she was on the fifth floor,
with no more than 20 people there.
She said there were only about 50 customers in total
in the whole mall at the time.
However, her words were questioned by the public.
Media reported previously that the mall was holding a big
promotion event on that day and many customers were there.
It seems that there were a few hundred people locked inside
mall when the fire broke out.
Tianjin resident Mr. Wang: “Definitely many people were
inside the mall.
If it was not at a weekend without sales promotion,
there wouldn’t be so many people in the mall.
But it was on Saturday with sales on, therefore it attracted
many customers. After all this is the largest mall in Ji County.”
On June 30th, Laide Shopping Center in Ji County, Tianjin
caught fire which lasted a few hours.
The five-story building was burnt down. On July 5th, Tianjin
official micro-blog announced that 10 people died with 16 injured in the accident.
Bodies of the dead were collected by their families.
However, this death toll was questioned by the public.
Insiders revealed that far more than 10 died in the accident,
at least in the hundreds of people killed by the fire.
Some also said that the confirmed death toll was 378.
A partial list of the dead was publicized by some netizens.
Mr. Li, a propaganda manager from Ji County answered NTD
by repeating the same official statements in an interview.
He also claimed that no one was missing.
When he was asked about authorities’ restriction on a truthful
report, he said he was unclear about it.
Shenzhen scholar, Zhu Jianguo pointed out that in China,
power is above the law,
and only state media had a chance to speak for its purpose.
There is no freedom of the media.
Zhu Jianguo: “State media’s rule is to report good news only,
talking big of the achievements and covering up the truth.
This is the first one of the rules. Secondly, the 18th Congress
is approaching.
High level officials are attempting to enter Zhongnanhai.
Their followers also hope to be promoted.
Therefore they will cover up the death toll because they
share the same interests.”
After the fire, media in Tianjin were silenced and journalists
from non-state media were banned from interviewing.
Recently, the internet was also cut off in Ji County.
An insider revealed that a staff member from the crematorium
as detained after he said “200 dead bodies were delivered there on that day”.
All staff of Ji county hospital involved in the rescue
were also told to keep silent.
The victims’ families received 610,000 Yuan compensation
as the cost of keeping silent, or they will be suppressed.
Civilians were warned that any discussion of fire or posting
any relevant messages online will get them arrested.
Ms. Zhao, Tianjin resident says: ”Don’t ask me about the
accident. I know nothing about it.
I have been notified from meetings that whoever
mentions the fire in an interview would be arrested.”
However, the authority’s suppressions have induced
more rage from civilians.
On July 6th, tens of thousands of city residents demonstrated
on the streets, to mourn the dead from the fire.
They also called for an investigation into the real facts behind
the accident.
At the same time, more details of the truth are being
revealed gradually.
According to a report by dajiyuan.com, some witness
confirmed that
the fire was caused by an overloaded outdoor air-conditioner
compressor located at the south of Laide Shopping Center.
Although it is 10 minutes walk between the shopping center
and the county fire station, fire-engines took over 25 minutes to arrive after being called.
What’s more, the fire brigade wasn’t equipped with enough
hydraulic pressure with no aerial ladders or air cushions.
Consequently, the firefighters did nothing during the most
important 30 minutes window for rescue.
They stood and watched the fire devouring the whole building.
Another shocking fact has also been revealed. Although many
lives were threatened during the fire by being stuck in the building,
the shopping center manager closed the exits on one side
to prevent commodities from being stolen,
which blocked access for many victims escaping the fire.
