ZHONGSHAN, Guangdong: Most of the 26 victims of a bar blaze in Zhongshan on Christmas Day have been identified, local police said yesterday.

The fire broke out late on Sunday, when more than 100 people were celebrating festivities in Tandao Western Restaurant in Tanzhou township.

Officials have since closed nearly 20 hotels and entertainment facilities in the township for fire safety reasons.

Officers said the youngest person killed in the fire on Sunday was aged 16.

Despite the fact that China's laws do not allow people under 18 in such venues, many in Guangdong have turned a blind eye to the rules.

"From time to time, we warn the minors who look young of the stipulation, but some teenagers look really like adults," said Ke Ming, a bar tender with Deluxe Club in Guangzhou.

"And some minors are accompanied by adults they won't leave even when we ask them to. And we have no way to drive them out," he added.

Chen Jijing, deputy director of Guangzhou Hong Kong Youth Research Institute, said that parents and school teachers should learn a lesson from the tragedy on how to guide teenagers. And he urged authorities to take tougher measures to ensure venues barred people under 18 from going in.

A total of 21 men and five women died in the fire. The oldest victim was 29 years old. A further 11 people needed hospital treatment, but are all recovering.

Identities of 22 of the dead have been confirmed. Police are awaiting the confirmation of one from family members who are abroad, and the remaining three subject to DNA identification, an official with the Municipal Public Security Bureau of Zhongshan said.

Investigations revealed it was not equipped with any fire extinguishers and the safety exit was extremely narrow, making it difficult for the people inside to evacuate, said a government official.

Editor: Yan