At least 39 die in store blaze in Jiangxi province in central China
At least 39 people died and nine were receiving treatment for injuries on Jan 24 after a fire broke out at a store in the central Chinese province of Jiangxi, state media reported.
"At 3.24pm on Jan 24, a fire broke out on the below-ground level at a store… in Xinyu, Jiangxi," the country's state broadcaster CCTV reported. "Up until now, the accident has resulted in the death of 39 people, injuries to nine people, and others are still trapped," it said.
The report did not specify a precise cause of the fire, or how many people were still in danger.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called forRead More : Current heatwave ‘impossible’ without climate change: study "resolute containment" of deadly accidents in China in a statement made after the fire. Mr Xi "issued important instructions... requiring resolute containment of the frequent occurrence of various safety accidents to ensure the security of people's lives and property and overall social stability", CCTV reported.
Video footage released by CCTV of the scene showed several fire trucks and other emergency response vehicles lined up across the street from a row of businesses.
State-backed outlet The Global Times posted a statement by an "emergency command" in the city, which was set up by local officials after the fire broke out.
"At present, on-site search and rescue work is still ongoing, and the cause of the accident is also being investigated," the statement said. Footage from the scene shared on social media by government-run outlet The Paper showed huge clouds of smoke billowing into the sky as crowds of people looked on from a distance.
Emergency response vehicles could be seen nearby as security staff told people not to go any nearer.
Fires and other deadly accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement of regulations.
The incident on Jan 24 comes just five days after a late-evening blaze at a school in central China's Henan province killed 13.
In November, 26 people died and dozens were sent to hospital after a fire at a coal company office in northern China's Shanxi province.
The month before, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in north-western China left 31 dead and prompted official pledges of a nationwide campaign to promote workplace safety.
In April, a hospital fire in Beijing killed 29 people and forced desperate survivors to jump out of windows to escape.
"At 3.24pm on Jan 24, a fire broke out on the below-ground level at a store… in Xinyu, Jiangxi," the country's state broadcaster CCTV reported. "Up until now, the accident has resulted in the death of 39 people, injuries to nine people, and others are still trapped," it said.
The report did not specify a precise cause of the fire, or how many people were still in danger.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for
Video footage released by CCTV of the scene showed several fire trucks and other emergency response vehicles lined up across the street from a row of businesses.
State-backed outlet The Global Times posted a statement by an "emergency command" in the city, which was set up by local officials after the fire broke out.
"At present, on-site search and rescue work is still ongoing, and the cause of the accident is also being investigated," the statement said. Footage from the scene shared on social media by government-run outlet The Paper showed huge clouds of smoke billowing into the sky as crowds of people looked on from a distance.
Emergency response vehicles could be seen nearby as security staff told people not to go any nearer.
Fires and other deadly accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement of regulations.
The incident on Jan 24 comes just five days after a late-evening blaze at a school in central China's Henan province killed 13.
In November, 26 people died and dozens were sent to hospital after a fire at a coal company office in northern China's Shanxi province.
The month before, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in north-western China left 31 dead and prompted official pledges of a nationwide campaign to promote workplace safety.
In April, a hospital fire in Beijing killed 29 people and forced desperate survivors to jump out of windows to escape.
Source: dailyasianage.com
