At least 15 people died in an apartment fire in China

The fire broke out in the early hours of Friday morning, with preliminary investigations suggesting it started on the first floor of the building where the electric bikes were stored, officials said at a press conference. The building is located in the Yuhuatai district of Nanjing, a city of more than 8 million people.

The scene of a fire in Nanjing city, Jiangsu province, China. Photo: Costfoto

Authorities said the fire was extinguished by 6 a.m. Friday local time and the search and rescue operation ended around 2 p.m. Friday. Emergency services said 25 fire engines were deployed to extinguish the blaze.

Video circulating on Chinese social media shows a skyscraper on fire in the dark with black smoke billowing from it. Other images show huge flames burning through several floors of the building.

Officials said 44 injured people were taken to hospital for treatment, adding that one person was in critical condition and another was seriously injured.

Screenshot of the fire. Photo: Straits Times

China has seen a series of deadly fires in recent months, prompting President Xi Jinping last month to call for greater efforts to "curb accidents".

In January, dozens of people died after a fire broke out at a store in Xinyu city in Jiangxi province. Days earlier, a fire at a school in China’s Henan province killed 13 students sleeping in a dormitory.

In November 2023, 26 people were killed and dozens hospitalized after a fire at a coal company office in Shanxi province, northern China.

Hoang Anh (according to Xinhua News Agency, AFP, CNA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chay-chung-cu-o-trung-quoc-it-nhat-15-nguoi-thiet-mang-post285647.html