China market fire: 16 dead, 5 injured in Shenzhen fruit market blaze

Originally published on December 12, 2013

Sign up for a free trial of News Direct's animated news graphics at http://newsdirect.nma.com.tw/Reuters....

Sixteen people were killed early on Wednesday morning (December 11) after a fire ripped through a wholesale fruit market in Shenzhen, China. At least five people were injured in the blaze and sent to hospital.

According to a spokesman for the city fire department, Zhang Xiaowei, the fire broke out in the Guangming New District market at around 1:30 in the morning. Twenty-nine fire trucks carrying 145 firefighters were deployed to the scene, and spent about two hours containing the blaze, which burned down an area of about 1,000 square metres.

The Xinhua news agency reported the victims were occupying four stalls within the market, and were sleeping when the fire broke out. Zhang said tenants worked and lived in stores inside the market. However, the cause of the blaze is still being investigated, he added.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.