A fire at a residential building in Nanjing, China has resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals and injuries to 44 others, according to local officials.
Officials stated at a press conference that a fire began in the early hours of Friday morning. Initial findings suggest that the fire originated on the first floor of the building, where electric bikes were stored.
The structure is situated in the Yuhuatai area of Nanjing, a metropolis with a population of over 8 million, approximately 260km north-west of Shanghai.
The fire was put out by 6am (2200 GMT) and the search and rescue mission concluded at approximately 2pm on Friday, according to officials.
Forty-four individuals who were injured were transported to a hospital for medical care, according to statements made.
In recent months, China has experienced a series of fatal fires, leading President Xi Jinping to urge for serious contemplation and increased measures to reduce the frequent incidents of safety accidents.
In the beginning of the year, numerous individuals lost their lives due to a fire that started in a store located in the city of Xinyu. According to the state-run news agency Xinhua, the fire was sparked by workers using flames in the store’s lower level.
The fire happened shortly after a previous fire in a school in Henan province, China. The first fire occurred at night and resulted in the death of 13 schoolchildren who were sleeping in a dormitory.
According to a teacher at the school who spoke to the state-run Hebei Daily, all of the individuals affected were students in the same third-grade class, aged nine and ten.
According to reports from local media, it is believed that an electric heating device was the cause of the fire.
In November, a fire at a coal company office in Shanxi province, northern China, resulted in 26 fatalities and multiple hospitalizations.
Last month, a blast at a grill eatery in the northwestern part of the nation resulted in the death of 31 people and sparked promises from officials to launch a countrywide effort to enhance workplace safety.
In the month of April, a blaze at a hospital in Beijing claimed the lives of 29 individuals and left survivors with no choice but to leap out of windows in order to flee.
Source: theguardian.com
