Firefighters rescue 75 people as investigation into the cause of the fire continues.
At least 16 people have died in a fire at a shopping mall in southwest China, state media reported.
The fire broke out at the 14-story commercial building in Zigong city, Sichuan province, on Wednesday night and firefighters were working at the scene until early Thursday morning, according to Xinhua news agency.
Firefighters and rescue teams brought 75 people to safety.
The fire started in the lower part of the building, which houses a department store, offices, restaurants and a cinema, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
A preliminary investigation determined that construction operations sparked the fire, but a more detailed investigation is underway to determine the specific cause, officials said.
Videos of the fire were circulated on social media and show clouds of thick, black smoke billowing from windows on the lower levels of the building and enveloping the entire structure as it rose into the sky. The emergency department asked the public “not to believe or amplify rumors” about the incident.
Local media reported that firefighters used several drones and water cannons to extinguish the flames.
Fire risks remain a problem in China, which reported 947 fire-related deaths between January and May 2024, up 19 percent from the same period last year, said Li Wanfeng, spokesman for the National Fire and Rescue Administration.
According to Li, the number of fires in public places such as hotels and restaurants rose to 40 percent, with the most common cause being malfunctioning power or gas lines and carelessness.
In January, a fire killed 39 people in a commercial building due to unauthorized welding in the basement.
The following month, 15 people died in a residential building in the eastern city of Nanjing after an attached parking lot housing electric bicycles caught fire.
