15 dead in China building fire

At least 15 people died and another 44 were injured in a blaze at a residential building in east China's Nanjing city, local authorities said on Saturday, Report informs via DW.

A preliminary investigation showed the fire, which broke out early on Friday, started on the building's first floor where electric bikes had been placed, officials said in a press conference.

Of the 44 injured, one was critical, while the others were seriously hurt, officials said.

At around 4:39 a.m. on Friday (20:39 GMT Thursday), the local fire department received an alarm about the fire in the Yuhuatai District, Chinese state-owned news agency Xinhua reported.

The fire had been extinguished by 6:00 a.m. (2200 GMT Thursday). The search and rescue operation ended eight hours later, authorities said.