16 killed in shopping centre fire in Zigong City, Sichuan Province

Sixteen people were killed in a fire that broke out on Wednesday evening at a high-rise department store in Zigong City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. The fire in the 14-story building, located in a high-tech zone in the city, was reported at approximately 18:00, and there was a heavy smoke at the site.

The rescue ended at 3:00 am on Thursday, with all the trapped people evacuated and all the injured handled properly, the local ecological environment and emergency management bureau reported. Preliminary investigation shows that the fire was caused by construction work, and the details are under further investigation. Work is underway to deal with the aftermath.