Sixteen people have died after a fire engulfed a department store in China's southwestern Sichuan province.
The blaze broke out in a 14-storey building situated in a high-tech zone of Zigong city, enveloping the area in thick smoke, according to Xinhua news agency.
Firefighters responded to an emergency call shortly after 6pm on Tuesday. They managed to rescue approximately 75 people from the burning structure, with the operation continuing through the night and ending at 3am local time on Wednesday.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, as does the number of people present in the building when the blaze erupted.
A fire that broke out Wednesday in a shopping centre in southwestern China was extinguished but some people were still trapped inside, state broadcaster CCTV said.#Fire #China pic.twitter.com/LISlF1GDUb
— editorji (@editorji) July 18, 2024
However, preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started due to ongoing construction work.
The affected building houses a department store, offices, restaurants and a cinema.
Footage of the incident showed dense black smoke billowing from the lower floors and engulfing the entire structure as it rose skyward.
Fire authorities have urged the public to refrain from believing or spreading rumours about the incident. China's Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a team of experts to Sichuan to conduct an investigation.
Fire safety remains a pressing concern in China. Li Wanfeng, a spokesperson for the National Fire and Rescue Administration, reported 947 fire-related fatalities in the first several months of this year up to May 20, marking a 19 per cent increase from the same period last year.
Li noted a 40 per cent rise in fires occurring in public spaces such as hotels and restaurants, citing faulty electrical or gas lines and negligence as the most common causes.
This incident follows two other deadly fires earlier this year.
In January, 39 people lost their lives in a commercial building fire in Jiangxi province, caused by unauthorised welding in the basement.
In February, another 15 perished in a residential building fire in Nanjing, triggered by an attached car park housing electric bikes.
