Taiyuan building fire kills 14 as investigation continues

A fire in a high-rise building in Taiyuan, northern China, killed 14 people by Monday morning, after five deaths had been confirmed late Sunday, according to state media. Authorities said 38 people were taken to hospital. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.

The blaze began at about 4:59 p.m. Sunday in downtown Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, according to reports citing state media and local authorities. Firefighters extinguished it roughly two hours later, and rescue operations ended around 8:30 p.m., authorities said.

The death toll rose from five late Sunday to 14 by Monday morning, Xinhua reported. The 38 people taken to hospital included the five who had died, according to the agency. No further confirmed breakdown of injuries was reported.

The building was described in local reporting as a mixed-use complex with residential and commercial facilities. Reports said it housed hotels, restaurants and children’s education or training centres. The full extent of damage and the circumstances of people inside when the fire began had not been established in the reports.

A hotel employee told local media he believed the fire started on the fifth floor and said he...