A blaze at a three-story building in downtown Shanghai claimed
10 lives and injured 19 others early on Friday morning, according
to a source from the Shanghai Information Office.
The fire occurred at 03:49 AM in a brick-and-wood building on
Gaoxiong Road. Local police dispatched more than 20 fire engines to
the site.
Medical workers rushed the injured to Ruijin Hospital and the
No.9 People's Hospital for emergency treatment.
Fire fighters removed 17 liquefied natural gas cylinders from
the building, and worked hard to put out the raging flames with
high-pressure water cannons. It was eventually extinguished by
04:42 AM.
The building was reportedly an abandoned workshop rented to some
migrant workers.
Soon after the accident, officials from Shanghai municipal
government departments hurried to the site to organize an
investigation into its cause, which is ongoing.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2005)