China shopping centre fire kills 16

AFP | Beijing

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

A fire that tore through a shopping centre in southwestern China has killed 16 people, state media reported yesterday. Rescue operations concluded at around 3:00 am yesterday (1900 GMT Wednesday), according to the local fire and rescue services cited by state news agency Xinhua.

Video broadcast by state media CCTV and shared on social media Wednesday night showed thick black smoke billowing out of the 14-storey tower in Zigong, Sichuan province.

The blaze started in the early evening in a shopping centre at the foot of the building, the channel said. Around 30 people were rescued from the complex, with the fire extinguished by rescuers around 8:20 pm on Wednesday, CCTV said.

Later footage provided by a drone operator to AFP showed firetrucks and other first responders blocking off the road late at night, continuing to spray down the charred building.