A fire broke out in a 14-story building on Wednesday evening local time. About 30 people were rescued from the burning building.
At least 16 people have died in a fire at a department store in the city of Zigong in Sichuan province, China. This is reported by the state news agency Xinhua.
A fire broke out in a shopping center in a 14-story building on Wednesday evening local time. The nearby area was covered by thick smoke caused by the fire, Xinhua says.
The rescue operations, which lasted overnight, were completed at three in the morning Thursday local time, reported the state TV channel CCTV. According to the channel, around 30 people were rescued from the burning building.
According to initial information, the fire may have started at the construction site of the shopping center, but more detailed investigations have been started.
Located in the southwestern part of China, Zigong is a city of about 2.5 million inhabitants, reports the news agency AFP.
Sources: Reuters, AFP