It's hard to be shocked any more about safety scandals in China. But I had to wonder how officials allowed a showpiece building like this hotel to be built with so much flammable material. They got a much bigger fireworks show than they expected.

/Color China Photo via AP
Firefighters try to put out a fire at the unfinished Mandarin Hotel in the CCTV headquarters complex in Beijing, China, Monday, Feb. 9, 2009. China's state-run television broadcaster apologized Tuesday for an unlicensed fireworks display that sparked the blaze.