Casualties unknown in Hunan ancient building fire

CHANGSHA - An ancient building complex in Hongjiang City of central China's Hunan Province caught fire Sunday afternoon, with casualties unknown, according to local sources.

An official in charge of the Hongjiang Ancient Town, a major tourist attraction and a national cultural heritage site, told Xinhua that the fire source has been traced to a military uniform factory dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) along Silk and Embroidery Street.

Firefighters are still trying to put out the fire while heavy smoke can be seen across the town.

The building complex under state protection includes more than 300 well-preserved structures built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China period (1912-1949), with a total land area of 200,000 square meters.