Beijing, March 29 – At least three people were killed, and 23 others were injured, including nine who are reportedly in critical condition, after a fire broke out in a building near Qinxian North Street in Taiyuan, located in North China's Shanxi Province, local media reported on Sunday.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire, while ongoing rescue and relief efforts are still underway, according to reports by CCTV News.
The fire broke out around 8 p.m. on Saturday, prompting an immediate response from fire and rescue teams.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the flames were largely brought under control later that night, with personnel continuing search and rescue operations within the building through the evening.
Reports indicated that the structure that caught fire also housed a hotel, with the suspected point of origin located on the eastern side of the building, along a north-south passageway, as cited by Chinanews.com.
Visuals from the scene, widely shared by local residents on social media, showed that the fire was primarily concentrated along the exterior walls of the building, rapidly spreading across its surface.
By around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, significant burn damage was visible along the eastern facade of the building. Several shops located adjacent to the passageway were completely gutted, suffering extensive structural damage, the report added.
In addition, a number of electric bicycles parked outside the affected storefronts were reduced to skeletal metal frames due to the intensity of the blaze.
The passage area itself was found strewn with debris, much of which consisted of remnants of burned aluminium composite panels, further indicating the scale of destruction caused by the fire.
Officials continue to assess the situation as investigations proceed into the exact circumstances that led to the incident.