Inferno at Shanghai high-rise building kills 42, injures nearly 100

[News_Editor]

Inferno at Shanghai high-rise building kills 42, injures nearly 100

2010-11-15 23:35:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

SHANGHAI, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- A massive fire at a skyscraper in the Chinese city of Shanghai killed more than 40 people and injured nearly 100 others on Monday, state-run media reported.

The blaze broke out at approximately 2 p.m. local time on the scaffolding of the residential high-rise but quickly spread to the building itself and eventually put all 30 floors on fire. Most of the fire was extinguished by 7 p.m. local time.

Authorities said the fire broke out while the building, located in the city's Jingan District, was under renovation. It was not immediately clear, however, what sort of work was being carried out when the fire broke out.

Some people were seen surrounded by thick smoke as they sat on scaffolding in hopes to be rescued. Video footage showed some people being rescued by ladders, while others - higher up- decided to jump to their death to escape the flames.

The death toll was initially reported to be twelve, but was later revised upwards to 42 after rescue workers were able to enter the building and search for additional victims. The state-run Xinhua news agency said some 90 people had been taken to hospitals for treatment, including some who were in a serious condition.

It was unclear if anyone was still missing as of late Monday evening. The blaze, which sent thick clouds of smoke billowing over the city, was one of the deadliest in many years. Shanghai has a population of more than 19.2 million people.

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