Blaze at shopping mall in northeast China kills 19

[News_Editor]

Blaze at shopping mall in northeast China kills 19

2010-11-07 14:34:40 GMT+7 (ICT)

BEIJING (BNO NEWS) -- A fire at a shopping mall in northeast China has killed at least 19 people and left 27 others injured in the country's worst fire since 2009, state-run media reported on Sunday.

According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the fire broke out on Friday morning at Jilin Commercial Building in Jilin City of Jilin Province. It was not until Saturday morning that the rescue operation came to an end, following a nearly 12 hour long fire.

"We saw flames and thick black smoke surge from downstairs," said Zhang Liying, one of 80 women who escaped unharmed from the building. "We called the firemen, told them where we were, and then climbed out of the window to the balcony, one by one."

The fire originated on the first floor, where home appliances and cosmetic products were sold. But the fire quickly spread to the fifth floor, burning clothes, bed covers, quilts, and other highly flammable goods.

In all, 19 people were killed and 27 others sustained injuries. They were being treated at area hospitals.

"As the northern region enters winter and temperatures starts to drop in the southern region, fire threats have greatly increased," a circular from the Ministry of Public Security said following the Jilin fire.

The fire was the worst fire to hit the Asian country since 2009. During the first eight months of 2010, at least 729 people were killed in more than 89,049 fires that broke out across China. In 2009, at least 945 people were killed in fires across the country.

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