11 dead, 51 hospitalised in China building fire: state media

Eleven people have died and 51 have been sent to hospital after a fire at a building in northern China’s Shanxi province on Thursday, state media said.

“Eleven people have been confirmed dead and the specific number of casualties is still being counted,” state broadcaster CCTV said.

“A total of 63 people have been evacuated so far, 51 of whom were sent to the Luliang First People’s Hospital for treatment”, it added.

The fire started at a four-floor building belonging to the Yongju coal company in Lishi District, Luliang City, Shanxi Province at around 6:50 am (2250 GMT on Wednesday), state media said.

“Rescue work is still in progress and the cause of the fire is under investigation,” it added.

Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement.

In July, eleven people died after the roof of a school gym collapsed in the country’s northeast.

The month before, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern 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.

And one of the worst such accidents took place in 2015 in Tianjin, where a gigantic explosion at a chemical warehouse killed at least 165 people.