17 dead in China mall fire

Fire ripped through a shopping mall in northeast China, killing 17 people, state media said today, as police detained the general manager of the complex for questioning.

Fire ripped through a shopping mall in northeast China, killing 17 people, state media said today, as police detained the general manager of the complex for questioning.

HT Image

Twenty-eight others were injured in the massive blaze in the city of Jilin, which broke out yesterday morning, Xinhua news agency reported. One person was still missing.

The flames were extinguished by yesterday afternoon, but thick smoke complicated the firefighters' task of searching for survivors and victims, the report said, citing local officials.

Authorities said they were still investigating the cause of the blaze.

Deadly fires are common in China due to lax observation and enforcement of fire safety measures.