Fire Kills 16 in Mall, Investigators Think They Know Why

Chinese investigators believe construction work triggered a fire that resulted in 16 deaths at a shopping mall in Zigong, a city in southwestern China.

The fire erupted Wednesday evening and took nearly 10 hours to extinguish, as reported by state media.

The 14-story commercial building was evacuated, with 75 people safely escorted out, according to the official news agency Xinhua. The building includes a department store, offices, restaurants, and a movie theater. Social media videos showed thick black smoke billowing from the lower floors.

Local media reported that firefighters employed several drones to combat the blaze.

Fire hazards remain a significant issue in China, which recorded 947 fire-related fatalities up to late May, a 19 percent increase from the previous year, according to Li Wanfeng, a spokesperson for the National Fire and Rescue Administration.

Li noted that fires in public places like hotels and restaurants rose by 40 percent during that period, with leaking gas lines and failure to adhere to safety protocols being the most common causes.

In January, a fire caused by unauthorized welding in the basement killed 39 people in a commercial building in Jiangxi, a province in southeastern China. In February, another fire claimed 15 lives in a residential building in Nanjing, a city in eastern China.

In Zigong, resident Li Wanyu was shopping in an underground grocery store when the fire started. Shoppers were quickly evacuated after flames appeared on the ceiling.

“At first I thought it was a drill when staff organized the evacuation,” she told the AP. “I didn’t immediately realize what was going on. I wasn’t scared but confused. I ran out with everyone.”

Li mentioned that the mall, once the busiest in the city during her childhood, is now less popular, despite its proximity to Zigong’s city government building.