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Firefighters work at the site of a department store fire on July 17, 2024 in Zigong, Sichuan province, China.
CNN
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16 people were killed after a fire broke out at a shopping mall in the southwestern United States. China On Wednesday, according to Chinese state media.
Dramatic images showed a huge plume of black smoke rising from the 14-storey building in Zigong city, Sichuan province. Several people were seen gathered on the building’s balcony.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that about 30 people were rescued from the fire after nearly 300 emergency workers and dozens of vehicles from the local fire department were sent to the scene.
Initial investigations indicate that the fire was caused by construction work, China Central Television reported, citing local authorities.
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Rescuers work at the site of a fire in Zigong City, China, July 17, 2024.
In a statement released Thursday, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management urged rescue workers and regional officials to determine the cause of the fire as soon as possible and draw lessons to ensure greater safety in the future.
Such accidents are not uncommon in China, where enforcement of safety standards is often lax.
In January, a fire at a multi-use building in southeastern China killed at least 39 people, just days after another fire broke out at a boarding school in central Henan province, killing 13 children.
This story has been updated with additional developments.