10 Killed In Xinjiang Apartment Fire

An apartment fire on Thursday in the western region of Xinjiang killed 10 people and injured nine, state broadcaster CCTV reported, saying an electric socket extension was the cause.

The fire started on Thursday night on the 15th floor of a high-rise building in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, then spread to higher floors, CCTV said.

China's Xinjiang region has been under Covid-19 prevention measures, though CCTV said the apartment building was in a compound categorised as low-risk, a term used for areas without Covid-19 cases. Residents were able to go downstairs, state media said.

The nine injured suffered lung injures and remain stable, the broadcaster said. This is the second deadly fire on the mainland in the past few days. A factory fire in the central city of Anyang killed 38 this week. (Reuters)