A fire that tore through a high-rise apartment tower in Taiyuan, the capital of China’s northern Shanxi province, has killed 14 people, state media said on Monday.
The blaze broke out at about 4.59pm local time on Sunday in a residential tower in the Liuxiang subdistrict of Yingze district, in the commercial heart of the city. Firefighters brought the flames under control within about two hours, and search and rescue operations concluded at 8.30pm.
Five people had been confirmed dead by late on Sunday night. The toll rose to 14 on Monday morning as hospitalised victims succumbed to their injuries, according to state media. A total of 38 people were taken to hospital, and 25 remained in hospital on Monday, nine of them seriously injured.
Video images circulated online and verified by Reuters showed smoke billowing over the 40-storey structure as firefighters worked from cranes outside to douse flames spreading from its centre.
The building, identified in regional reporting as the Hao Sheng International Apartment, was built in 2007 and sits in one of Taiyuan’s busiest commercial quarters, where apartment towers stand above shops and restaurants. It also housed a hotel and children’s education centres, according to the South China Morning Post.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Local authorities said post-incident arrangements had been triggered for the victims and their families, and work was under way to treat the injured.
The casualty figures and the account of the fire come from China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, as reported by Reuters, and have not been independently verified. Details, including the cause and the condition of those still in hospital, may change as the investigation continues.
Sources: Reuters, “Apartment building fire in northern China kills 14”, https://www.reuters.com/world/china/apartment-building-fire-northern-china-kills-14-2026-11-09/ ; Xinhua News Agency, as reported by Reuters.
