Guangzhou high-rise fire extinguished

GUANGZHOU - A high-rise building that was ablaze for over 11 hours in downtown Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, was extinguished on Monday morning.

The fire was put out at about 6 am after it burned through the 25-storey Jianye Mansion, an unfinished building on Qiyi Road, Xinhua reporters at the site said.

An unfinished building in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province, caught fire on Sunday night. Fire trucks were on the scene within minutes and police blocked traffic on nearby roads. The fire was put out. It was still unclear whether there were any people in the building. [Photo/icpress.cn]

No casualties have been reported so far. Some 20 people, including workers inside the building and nearby residents, have been relocated, according to the municipal firefighting department.

The fire broke out at about 6:50 pm on Sunday.

A total of 58 fire engines and 350 firefighters were involved in putting the blaze out. They were hindered by heavy winds, according to the department.

Water from the fire engines could only reach the tenth floor, according to Xinhua reporters.

Construction of the building was suspended more than 10 years ago. It was being used as a storehouse for shoes and wooden boards, said Liang Xinyuan, a nearby resident.