26 killed in Chinese coal company office fire

Beijing: At least 26 people were killed and more than 60 injured after a fire tore through a building of a coal mine company in north China’s Shanxi province on Thursday, state media reported.

The fire started at the second floor of the five-story building located in Lishi District of Lyuliang City at around 6.50 am (local time).

Twenty-six people were killed in the fire and more than 60 people have been sent to a local hospital for treatment, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The fire has been brought under control and rescue efforts are underway, the Global Times newspaper reported.

The building belongs to a private coal mine company.

Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards and poor enforcement.