Ten injured in downtown building fire in C China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-05 19:45

WUHAN -- At least 10 people were injured in a fire at a mixed commercial-residential building in downtown Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province on Thursday.

Doctors from the Wuhan No.1 Hospital told Xinhua they had received 10 injured people as of 3 p.m.. One person is in critical condition.

Firefighters try to extinguish raging fire at a downtown building in Wuhan city, central China's Hubei province Thursday February 5, 2009. At least 10 people were injured, including one critically. [Xinhua]

Most of the injured suffer from smoke inhalation, doctors said.

It is still unknown whether there are any fatalities.

The fire broke out in a plastic products warehouse on the second floor of the nine-story Yuanxiang Building in the Hanzhengjie Wholesale Market at about 9:50 a.m. Thursday.

It took more than 800 fire fighters and 79 fire engines more than two hours to extinguish the fire.

The building was enveloped in smoke, which was described as pungent, as of 6 p.m.. Fire fighters were sprinkling water into the building.

The ground, second and third floors are a mix of stores and warehouses. The rest of the building is residential, with more than 200 households living there. There was a kindergarten on the fourth floor.

More than 300 occupants were evacuated. The specific number of the people living in that building is not available at this time.

The province governor Li Hongzhong and Party chief Luo Qingquan have ordered the fire fighters and doctors to do what they can to evacuate people and treat the injured.

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