BEIJING—A fire erupted in a coal mining company building in a northern Chinese city on Thursday, killing at least 26 people and injuring at least 38, Chinese state media reported.
The building belongs to Yongju Coal Company and is in Lvliang city in northern Shanxi Province, a major coal-producing region.
Videos circulating on social media, some of which were shown on state broadcaster CCTV, showed flames and heavy plumes of smoke coming out of a four-story concrete building. Some people were shown escaping the building by climbing down drain pipes.
Those dead were almost all workers, according to local media outlet Fengmian News.
The actual number of casualties from such events may be much higher. The actual number of casualties is difficult to verify, as the Chinese regime routinely suppresses or alters information.
The fire was first reported around 6:50 a.m. (2250 GMT Wednesday) and had been put out by mid-afternoon, according to the local emergency management department.
Authorities have detained several people believed to be responsible for the fire, and an investigation was ongoing, state media said.
The fire appeared to have started in the shower area of a building with offices and dormitories, local news outlet Hongxing News reported.
Industrial accidents, in particular in coal mines, are relatively common in China, with experts pointing to lax enforcement of safety standards.
In April, at least 29 people died in a hospital fire in Beijing, sparking an online backlash against authorities, who were accused of withholding information from patients’ relatives.
Last October, an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northwestern Yinchuan city killed at least 31.