A massive fire tore through a 40-story building in China, killing at least 14 people and leaving nine others fighting for their lives as firefighters raced to rescue dozens of people trapped inside.
The deadly blaze erupted shortly before 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, at the Haosheng International Apartment building in Taiyuan, the capital of China’s northern Shanxi province.
Terrifying footage from the scene showed thick black smoke pouring from the building as flames spread across several floors. Residents were seen leaning out of windows while firefighters battled the inferno from elevated rescue platforms.
According to Reuters, the fire appeared to have started around the fourth floor of a lower section of the building before spreading upward to the eighth and ninth floors, where a hotel was located.
The property was more than just an apartment complex. The busy downtown building also housed hotels, short-term rental apartments, businesses and children’s tutoring centers, raising concerns about how many people may have been inside when the flames erupted.
Emergency crews arrived just five minutes after the fire was reported and launched a major rescue operation.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames around 7 p.m., approximately two hours after the blaze began. Search and rescue operations continued until 8:30 p.m., with authorities confirming that 60 people had been evacuated or rescued.
The scale of the tragedy became clearer as officials released updated casualty figures.
Fourteen people were confirmed dead, while 25 others remained hospitalized as of Monday afternoon. Nine patients were in critical condition, four had serious injuries, and another 12 were being treated for less severe injuries.
A total of 38 people had initially been transported to hospitals following the fire.
Authorities have not publicly identified the victims.
As investigators work to determine what sparked the deadly blaze, officials have taken action against those responsible for managing the property.
Management personnel from the building’s ownership organization and the head of its property management company have been placed under official control, Chinese authorities confirmed.
Officials have not announced criminal charges or determined whether negligence contributed to the disaster.
The tragedy has also renewed scrutiny of fire safety in the city. According to the South China Morning Post, another high-rise fire approximately 3.7 miles away killed three people in March.
Local authorities have pledged to conduct extensive fire-safety inspections and review potential hazards in buildings and businesses throughout Taiyuan.
For now, investigators are working to establish how the fire started and why it spread, while medical teams continue treating the most seriously injured survivors.
The disaster has left 14 families mourning their loved ones and raised urgent questions about safety inside the city’s crowded, mixed-use high-rise buildings.