A devastating fire at a residential building in eastern China's Nanjing has claimed the lives of at least 15 individuals and left 44 others injured, according to local authorities who provided details on Saturday.
The fire, which erupted early Friday morning, is believed to have originated on the first floor of the building, where electric bikes had reportedly been stored, initial investigations revealed, officials disclosed during a press briefing.
Situated in the Yuhuatai district of Nanjing, a bustling city with a population exceeding eight million and located approximately 260 kilometers (162 miles) northwest of Shanghai, the affected building became the focal point of a frantic firefighting and rescue operation.
Emergency services managed to extinguish the blaze by 6:00 am (2200 GMT Thursday), concluding the search and rescue efforts by around 2:00 pm Friday, authorities confirmed.
Responders, deploying a fleet of twenty-five fire trucks, battled the inferno as it engulfed the structure, as depicted in footage widely circulated on Chinese social media platforms, which captured the towering flames and billowing smoke emanating from the building.
Reports indicated that 44 injured individuals were promptly transported to hospitals for urgent medical attention, with one individual listed in critical condition and another suffering serious injuries, officials added during the press conference, where Nanjing's mayor, Chen Zhichang, extended condolences and expressed regret to the families of the victims.
Tragically, such incidents are not uncommon in China, where lax safety regulations and inadequate enforcement contribute to a concerning frequency of fires and other fatal accidents.
Recent months have witnessed a series of deadly blazes, often attributed to official oversight, prompting President Xi Jinping to call for introspection and intensified efforts to mitigate safety risks.
For instance, in January, a fire at a store in Xinyu claimed numerous lives, with authorities attributing the incident to "illegal" fire usage in the store's basement.
Similarly, a dormitory fire at a school in Henan province resulted in the tragic deaths of 13 schoolchildren in a single class, reportedly caused by an electric heating device.
The nation has also grappled with industrial accidents, such as the deadly explosion at a barbecue restaurant and the tragic hospital fire in Beijing, underscoring the imperative for comprehensive safety reforms and stringent enforcement measures to safeguard lives and prevent such calamities from recurring.
