FIRE Dramatic shot of a skyscraper ablaze in Chinese city of Guangzhou china 广州

A night after a massive fire engulfed a high-rise building in the heart of Guangzhou, authorities have yet to say whether anyone died in the blaze.Show more

The fire in the Jianye Building, in the heart of China’s fourth most populous city, started around 7pm on Sunday, state media said.

Around 380 firemen battled the flames, which quickly overwhelmed the entire building, for most of the night up till Monday, the Guangzhou fire department said.
By 5.55am, the fire was under control, they said.

The fire department said 20 people had to be evacuated from the building. No one was harmed in the blaze. Earlier reports of one fireman being treated for injuries incurred in the blaze are incorrect, the department said on Monday morning.

Construction of the building started in 1995, but was suspended in 1998. It has been used as a warehouse ever since, mostly for leather and shoes, one person working in the building told the Southern Metropolis Daily.

In September, four people were killed and at least 36 injured in explosions that caused a major fire in a Guangzhou warehouse. Last Wednesday, 16 people were killed and at least five injured in a fire at a market in Shenzhen.