China: 19 killed as fire erupts at coal mine company's building

Beijing [China], November 16: As many as 19 people were killed after a fire broke out at a building of a coal mine company in China's Shanxi province on Thursday, China's state media agency reported, citing the Shanxi branch of the National Mine Safety Administration.

The fire ripped through the second floor of the five-story building in Lishi district of China's Lyuliang City, Xinhua reported.

Local authorities said that rescue efforts are being made at the building.

The building belongs to the private firm Yongju coal mine which has a production capacity of 120 tonnes a year, according to Xinhua report.

Earlier on April 18, at least 21 people died in Beijing on Tuesday after a fire erupted at Changfeng Hospital, The Global Times reported citing media reports. A total of 71 patients were evacuated from the site.

The fire was reported at the in-patient department of a hospital in the Fengtai district of Beijing, as per the Global Times report. The fire department rushed to the spot after receiving information regarding the fire incident at 12:57 pm (local time). The fire was extinguished at 1:33 pm (local time) and the rescue work continued till 3:30 pm (local time). (ANI)