China restaurant fire leaves 17 people dead

A fire at a restaurant in northeastern China on Wednesday killed 17 people and injured three, according to local authorities.

The blaze broke out at 12:40 pm (0440 GMT) in an eatery in the city of Changchun, the local government said in a statement posted on the Weibo social media platform.

Firefighters “rushed to the scene” and completed search and rescue work by 3 pm, the statement said.

“The injured have been sent to hospital for treatment while posthumous care for the victims is being carried out,” it added.

Authorities said the cause of the incident is under investigation.

Legal representatives of the company operating the premises were detained. The causes of the incident are being established.