BEIJING – At least 39 people were killed and nine injured on Wednesday when a fire broke out at a commercial building in China’s southeastern Jiangxi province, state media said.
According to authorities in Yushui district, Jiangxi province, the fire broke out in the basement of a shopping street in the afternoon. In addition to rescue workers, firefighters and police, local government officials were also at the scene.
State broadcaster CCTV later reported that rescue operations had been completed and no one was trapped inside the building. There was an Internet cafe in the basement of the building, and a tutoring center on the upper floor.
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a statement about the fire, calling it another security tragedy. He called on the government and the Communist Party to “resolutely suppress the occurrence of various safety accidents and ensure the safety of people’s lives and property, as well as the stability of society as a whole.”
The statement included an order to the State Council Occupational Safety Committee to fill gaps in safety measures.
The local government said the cause of the fire was under investigation.
Over the weekend, a fire broke out in a boarding school dormitory in central Henan province, killing 13 children.