Incident Overview · Fire and Crush
Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm Fire
On 18 February 1977, during a Lunar New Year film screening at the 61st Regiment Farm auditorium in Xinjiang, a fire began after a firecracker reportedly ignited stored mourning wreaths. The fire spread rapidly and a crush formed at the restricted exit, causing mass casualties.
What Happened
Core Details
- Date
- 18 February 1977
- Location
- 61st Regiment Farm auditorium, Alimali / Huocheng County, Xinjiang, China
- Incident Name
- Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm Fire / Crush
- Reported Casualties
- 694 deaths; 161 injured or disabled
Core Finding
Known Position
Multiple sources identify the incident as occurring on 18 February 1977, the first day of Lunar New Year. The setting was an auditorium at the 61st Regiment Farm, described in Chinese sources as 六十一团场礼堂.
The supported sequence is that a film screening was moved indoors because of extreme cold. A child's firecracker then ignited stored mourning wreaths for Mao Zedong, after which the fire spread rapidly.
Reuters and ABC both report 694 deaths, with 597 of the dead identified as children. Detailed retrospective Chinese sources also report 161 injured or disabled.
Quick View
Incident Highlights
Chronology
Known Sequence
Lunar New Year screening
A film screening took place at the 61st Regiment Farm auditorium on 18 February 1977.
Moved indoors
Sources state the screening was moved into the auditorium because of extreme cold.
Ignition
A child's firecracker reportedly ignited stored mourning wreaths for Mao Zedong.
Rapid fire spread
The wreaths and auditorium conditions allowed the fire to spread quickly.
Exit pressure
A crush developed at the restricted exit as people tried to escape.
Mass casualties
Later source trails report 694 fatalities and 161 injured or disabled.
Operational Picture
Evidence Strength
Date Strong
Multiple sources identify 18 February 1977.
Location Supported
Sources place the site at the 61st Regiment Farm auditorium in Alimali / Huocheng-related jurisdiction.
Cause Repeats
The firecracker and stored wreath sequence appears in detailed retrospective accounts.
Timing Mixed
Retrospective sources differ on whether the fire began around 22:00 or 23:15.
Conflicting Information
Disputed Details
Disputed Detail
Time of Fire
Two retrospective sources give different timings for the outbreak.
Archived 1995 article
States the disaster occurred at about 23:15, shortly before the film ended.
2009 repost / retrospective
States the fire occurred around 22:00.
Editorial note: this is a direct timing mismatch between later retrospective accounts. The exact official time remains unverified.
Disputed Detail
Auditorium Build Year
The year the auditorium was built is not consistent across retrospective accounts.
Archived 1995 article
Gives the auditorium build year as 1964.
2009 repost
Gives the auditorium build year as 1966.
Editorial note: no primary construction record was verified in the supplied research pass.
Disputed Detail
Usable Floor Area
Detailed accounts differ slightly on the usable floor area of the auditorium.
Directly opened repost
Gives practical hall area as 601 square metres.
Derivative narrative version
Gives 609 square metres.
Editorial note: the page avoids relying on the 609 figure because it was not verified in a directly opened stable source.
Unverified Details
Exact street address of the auditorium was not verified.
Exact official incident time to the minute was not verified.
Exact official English rendering of the 1977 site name was not verified.
The possible split of severe disability and lighter injuries was not verified from a fully opened source.
Sources
Reference Cards
China 1994 fire killed 288 pupils as officials fled-expose
9 August 2007
Reuters states that the 1994 Karamay fire was the second-worst fire since 1949 and that the worse 1977 Xinjiang fire killed 694 people, 597 of them children.
Visit Source →Christmas Day Fire in China Kills 309
25 December 2000
ABC identifies the 1977 Xinjiang fire as China's worst fire of this type, reporting 694 deaths, including 597 children.
Visit Source →一九七七年，六十一团那场大火
10 June 2009; credited source 31 May 2009
Detailed Chinese retrospective, credited to Yili Evening News material, giving the date, casualty count, survivor testimony, cemetery reference, auditorium dimensions and blocked-exit conditions. It reports 694 dead, 161 injured or disabled, and 597 victims under 16.
Visit Source →694条生命化为灰烬——一场没有公开报道的特大火灾
Original article dated 1995; archived 4 January 2023
Long-form retrospective describing the cause sequence, stored mourning wreaths, indoor film screening, ignition by a firecracker and the final toll of 694 dead and 161 injured or disabled.
Visit Source →新疆兵团四师六十一团以招商引资推进农业产业化
19 June 2017
Used for location verification. It places the 61st Regiment around Alimali Industrial Park, supporting present-day identification of the regiment area.
Visit Source →六十一团以招商引资推进农业产业化
20 June 2017
Local government version of the same location-related report, also placing the 61st Regiment around Alimali Industrial Park.
Visit Source →“苹果城”里故事多
3 August 2015
Background location piece stating that Alimali is located at the 61st Regiment. Used only for geographic identification, not incident details.
Visit Source →Source Links
