A fire broke out at a shopping mall in southwestern China on Wednesday evening, trapping dozens inside and killing 16 people, the authorities said.
The fire started at about 6 p.m. in the shopping mall in Zigong, a city in Sichuan Province, according to a statement from local officials. Emergency services rushed to the scene and rescued 75 people trapped inside, the statement said. Rescuers found 11 bodies at the scene, and the fire was put out at about 8:50 p.m.
By Thursday morning, the death toll had risen to 16 people, according to a second statement released by the Zigong government. A preliminary investigation had determined that the fire was caused by construction work. As of Thursday morning, 39 people had received medical treatment.
Witnesses describe seeing massive flames and smoke billowing out of the shopping center. The building has 14 floors, local media reported.
“The fire was huge. The smoke was black and thick,” said Cao Xiaohong, who saw the fire from her home about 200 feet away. “I had never seen anything like this before.”
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