Warehouse blaze claims 12 lives as dormitory is engulfed
Updated: 2011-07-13 07:46
By Guo Rui (China Daily)
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WUHAN - Twelve people were killed in a raging blaze on Tuesday in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, the local government has confirmed.
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Firefighters use a ladder to enter the second floor of a warehouse that caught fire on Tuesday morning as they searched for survivors in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province. Yang Tao / For China Daily |
The blaze broke out at around 8:15 am in a warehouse in the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone, near National Highway 318.
A factory that produces plastic parts for Midea, a major maker of air conditioners, rented the two-story warehouse. The factory's employees lived on the second floor of the warehouse.
"When I finished my night shift, I took a shower in the bathroom," a survivor surnamed Li told China Daily.
Li said it was very noisy outside and when she saw fire, she jumped out of the window.
Li, who is in her 20s, found it hard to describe events as her aunt, who also worked at the factory, died in the blaze.
"I was very regretful that I forgot to call my aunt," Li said. Her aunt and other workmates were sleeping in the dormitories when the blaze broke out.
"I saw the fire at about 9 am and the smoke was quite thick," a witness named Xia Li told China Daily, adding that the smoke enveloped the factory.
Xia said she had seen five dead bodies being carried out, including two children aged about 6 or 7.
Eight people were rescued by firefighters and rushed to Shenlong Hospital.
The fire was put out by 11 am.
Tian Jingchao, an official from Wuhan fire control department, said that the cause of the blaze was under investigation.
On the afternoon of the same day, another building in Wuhan caught fire, the local fire department said.
Firefighters were struggling to put out that blaze, which broke out at 2:50 pm. No deaths or injuries have been reported.
Zhou Lihua contributed to this story.