BEIJING, May 28 (Reuters) - Chinese police have detained three restaurant workers for their role in a kitchen fire that killed 11 people and injured 16, state media reported on Monday.

Cook Wang Yonghai, 27, was blamed for improperly handling one of the kitchen's ovens, which started the blaze.

One of the managers of Baixinglou restaurant, in Chaoyang city in the northeastern province of Liaoning, was also detained, as was a second cook, Xinhua news agency reported citing the Chaoyang Public Security Bureau.

The managers of the restaurant were discussing how to compensate victims with their relatives and local authorities, the report said.

Fires at Chinese homes and businesses are common due to lax enforcement of safety standards and the improper storage of explosive materials.

Earlier this year, at least 17 migrant workers died when a fire raged through their dormitory.

A recent expose by a Chinese journalist said 288 children were killed in a fire in northwest China in 1994, mainly because they were told to remain seated to allow officials to leave the auditorium after the blaze broke out.

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