Society

Shopping mall fire kills 19 in Jilin

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-05 22:28

Photo taken on Nov. 5, 2010 shows heavy smoke over the sky near the burning shopping mall in the Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

JILIN, Jilin -- The death toll of a shopping mall fire in Northeast China's Jilin City has risen to 19, as the rescue headquarters declared the end of rescue efforts Saturday morning.

Liu Qizhi, a spokesman with the city government said, 24 of the 27 injured people were still hospitalized, but none of them suffered severe injuries.

According to the headquarters, the fire, which broke out at about 9:15 a.m. Friday, was extinguished in 10 hours. The blaze was mainly raging on the fourth floor of the five-story shopping center, which was the place for furniture stores.

The government spokesman said a part of the fifth floor, which was a gymnasium, was also damaged by the fire.

The lower floors of the shopping mall built in 1987 at Hunchun Street are occupied by stores for selling garments and shoes. By the time the fire broke out, there were 64 stores operating.

The general manager of the mall has been detained by police for questioning.