15 dead, 44 injured in residential building fire in Nanjing, China
- Blaze broke out early on Friday morning in an area where electric bikes had been parked
- Parking electric bicycles or charging them inside buildings has been banned since 2018 because of fire concerns
Authorities in southeastern China are investigating whether electric bikes are to blame for a fire that erupted in a residential building early on Friday morning, killing at least 15 people, according to mainland media reports.
The blaze started at 4.39am from a ground-level area where electric bikes were parked in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and was extinguished by 6am, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
At least 44 people were injured and more than 500 affected residents were relocated to hotels.
Residents were woken by the sound of an explosion and saw the fire surge upwards, according to reports from state-owned China National Radio.
Footage posted online showed residents on higher floors of the building in Yuhuatai district screaming for help.
Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper quoted a heavily pregnant woman and her husband as saying they covered themselves with wet pillowcases to shield themselves from smoke in their escape from the 30th floor.
A team has been set up to investigate the incident.
