At least 12 people were killed after a fire swept through a residential building in Shantou, Guangdong province, marking mainland China’s most serious blaze since last month’s catastrophic Hong Kong inferno, Chinese media reported. The fire broke out around 9.20 pm (local time) and was extinguished within about 40 minutes, as per the state news agency Xinhua.

Local authorities said the blaze affected roughly 150 square metres of the four-storey reinforced concrete building, located in the manufacturing-heavy Chaonan district. The ground floor had been converted into a shop selling household appliances and electrical equipment, an arrangement common in the area, where many families run small businesses from self-built residences.

A woman told local media that she lost her parents, grandmo

See Full Page