Fire in China apartment building kills 14: state media

A fire that broke out in an apartment building in northern China killed at least 14 people, state media said Monday, raising the death toll from the previous night.

Deadly fires are relatively common in China due to lax building codes and an often slipshod approach to workplace safety.

Late on Sunday (Nov. 8), local media reported that five people were killed in the apartment building fire in the Yingze district of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, local authorities told China Daily.

The blaze broke out in the Liuxiang subdistrict at around 5 pm and was extinguished by 7 pm, with search and rescue operations concluded at 8:30 pm.

At least 38 people were treated in hospital.

Post-incident arrangements have been triggered, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

"A total of 38 people were sent to hospitals for treatment, among whom five have died," Xinhua reported, raising the death toll to 14 on Monday morning.

The flames were extinguished on Sunday, with search and rescue efforts completed, it said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

China launched a campaign against fire hazards in high-rise buildings last November, after a huge blaze engulfed several tower blocks in Hong Kong, killing 168 people.

A month later, a fire at a residential building in southern China's Guangdong province killed 12 people.

And in July, a fire that engulfed a shoe factory in eastern China killed at least 28 people.