40-story building fire in Taiyuan kills 14 people
Authorities hospitalized 38 people, nine with serious injuries, as investigators continue to determine what sparked the blaze.
A fire tore through a 40-story building in central Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, northern China, on Sunday evening, killing at least 14 people. State media outlet Xinhua reported that 38 people were taken to hospital, while Channel News Asia said 25 remained hospitalized and nine of them were in serious condition. The fire was said to have started around 16.59 local time in an annex on the fourth floor, then spread to the eighth and ninth floors, which housed a hotel. Reuters-verified video showed thick smoke billowing as firefighters battled the blaze from outside the building. The fire was brought under control about two hours later, and rescue operations ended at 20.30. Local authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.