Beijing [China], July 18 : At least 16 people have died after a fire broke out in a shopping mall in southwestern China, Al Jazeera reported, citing state media.
The blaze started in the 14-storey commercial building in the city of Zigong, in Sichuan Province, on Wednesday night.
The firefighters were seen working at the site until early morning on Thursday, Xinhua News Agency reported.
However, firefighters and rescue teams successfully pulled 75 people to safety, reported Al Jazeera.
The fire started at the bottom of the building, which houses a department store, offices, restaurants and a movie theatre, state media, CCTV reported.
According to a preliminary investigation, construction operations triggered the fire; however, a more detailed inquiry to determine the specific cause is under way, the authorities said.
Videos of the fire spread on social media, showing clouds of thick black smoke coming out of the windows from the building's lower levels and engulfing the entire structure as they rose into the sky.
Following this, the emergency department called on the public "not to believe or amplify rumours" about the incident.
Moreover, the firefighters used several drones and water sprays to extinguish the flames, according to the state media.
Reportedly, fire hazards have been an ongoing problem in China, which reported 947 fire-related deaths from January to May 2024, up 19 percent from the same period of the previous year, Li Wanfeng said, spokesman for the National Fire and Rescue Administration, Al Jazeera reported.
Li added that the number of fires in public places such as hotels and restaurants rose to 40 percent, with the most common cause being malfunctioning electrical or gas lines and carelessness.
Earlier in January, a fire killed 39 people in a commercial building due to unauthorised welding in the basement.
Later, in February, 15 people were killed in a residential building in the eastern city of Nanjing after a fire broke out in an attached car park that had electric bikes, according to Al Jazeera.
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