Apartment Building Fire in Northern China Kills 14 People
Officials say 38 people went to hospital after the blaze in Taiyuan, while the cause is still being checked
Shanxi – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – A deadly fire in an apartment building in northern China has killed at least 14 people, state media said on Monday. The number is much higher than the first reports from Sunday night.
Local media first said five people had died in the Yingze district of Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province. Local officials shared this early figure with China Daily.
The fire started in the Liuxiang subdistrict at about 5 pm on Sunday, November 8. Firefighters put out the flames by 7 pm. Search and rescue teams finished their work at 8:30 pm.
At least 38 people were taken to hospital for treatment. Xinhua reported that five of them had died, and the toll rose to 14 on Monday morning.
Officials have started post-incident arrangements to help families and residents. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and no reason has been shared yet.
Deadly fires are fairly common in China. Experts often blame weak building rules and poor safety habits at many workplaces.
China began a campaign against fire risks in high-rise buildings last November. This came after a huge fire hit several tower blocks in Hong Kong and killed 168 people.
A month later, a fire in a residential building in Guangdong province, in southern China, killed 12 people.
In July, a fire at a shoe factory in eastern China killed at least 28 people.
Each new case raises fresh questions about safety in homes and workplaces. Many people now hope the Taiyuan investigation will give clear answers soon.
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