Fire in China apartment building kills 14: state media

A fire erupted in an apartment building in Taiyuan city, Shanxi province, northern China on Sunday evening, resulting in at least 14 fatalities, according to state media reports on Monday. The death toll climbed from the previous night's count. Such deadly fires are not uncommon in China due to substandard building regulations and lax workplace safety practices. The fire ignited at around 5:00 pm local time on Sunday, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

In total, 38 individuals were taken to hospitals for treatment following the incident. Among them, five individuals succumbed to their injuries, pushing the death toll to 14 on Monday morning, reported Xinhua. The flames were fully contained by Sunday evening, and search and rescue operations were concluded.

The origin of the fire remains under investigation. In response to fire hazards in high-rise structures, China initiated a campaign against such risks in November last year, following a catastrophic blaze in Hong Kong that claimed 168 lives. A month later, a residential building fire in Guangdong province's southern region resulted in 12 deaths. In July, a fire at a shoe factory in eastern China claimed the lives of at least 28 individuals.