At least 16 people were killed after a fire broke out at a shopping centre in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The fire erupted in a 14-storey building, located in a high-tech zone in the city of Zigong.
The incident took place at 6 pm (local time) on Wednesday and responders rescued around 75 people who were trapped inside the building, PTI reported, quoting Xinhua news agency. Rescue work finally ended at 3 am.
According to an Independent report, the building houses a department store, offices, restaurants and a movie theatre. The report said it wasn’t immediately clear how many people were stuck inside when the fire broke out or what caused the fire. The preliminary investigation suggests the fire broke out during construction work.
China's Ministry of Emergency Management and National Fire and Rescue Administration, PTI reported, said it had dispatched a working team to investigate the incident. Fire experts from across the country will also be sent to participate in the accident investigation, the ministry said.
Videos and images shared on social media showed plumes of thick black smoke coming out of windows from the building, engulfing the entire 14-storey structure. Huge flames were visible, and firefighters fought the fire with water sprays.
Despite President Xi Jinping’s directives to implement strict preventive measures, China continues to witness major fire accidents.
According to Li Wanfeng, a spokesperson for the National Fire and Rescue Administration, as quoted by the Associated Press, China reported 947 fire fatalities this year until May 20. Li said the number of fires in public places such as hotels and restaurants rose by 40%, and the most common causes were malfunctioning electrical or gas lines and carelessness.