China Building Fire: 14 Killed in Taiyuan TowerWorld

The 40-storey building is a mixed-use tower housing apartments, hotels, short-term rental flats, shops and tutoring centres. Video images circulating online showed smoke billowing over the structure as firefighters on cranes battled flames climbing the outside of the building.

Five deaths were confirmed on Sunday night, and the toll rose to 14 by Monday morning, according to the official Xinhua news agency. A total of 38 people were taken to hospital, and 25 remained under treatment on Monday, including nine with serious injuries.

Firefighters brought the open flames under control by around 7 pm, and search and rescue operations were completed by 8:30 pm on Sunday. Emergency crews worked through the evening to account for everyone inside the crowded building.

Local officials said medical teams were doing everything possible for the injured, and that support was being arranged for the families of those who died. The Yingze district government said follow-up work was under way as hospitals continued to treat the survivors.

State media said the building also houses a sauna, a gaming arcade and restaurants alongside its flats and hotel rooms, making it one of the busiest mixed-use addresses in the district. That mix of homes and businesses is part of why so many people were inside when the fire broke out on a Sunday evening.

Local authorities have opened a formal investigation to establish the exact cause of the fire. No cause had been announced by Monday, and officials have not said when their findings will be made public.

The tragedy has once again raised questions about fire safety in China’s crowded mixed-use towers, where homes, hotels and businesses share the same building. For the families of the victims, the wait for answers has only just begun as the injured continue to receive treatment in hospital.