BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged all-out efforts to treat the people injured in a restaurant fire in the city of Liaoyang, Northeast China's Liaoning province.

The fire started at 12:25 pm Tuesday, and had killed 22 people and injured three others by 2 pm, according to authorities.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, demanded efforts to properly handle affairs related to the victims and console their families, promptly identify the cause of the fire, and hold those responsible to account in accordance with the law.

He stressed the importance of forestalling major accidents to ensure public safety and social stability as the May Day holiday approaches.

Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged full-scale rescue and treatment, adding that local authorities across the country should screen for safety hazards and strengthen the implementation of workplace safety measures to prevent major accidents.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a team to the site, and rescue and relief operations are underway.