Tragic Fire in Chinese Shopping Mall Claims Eight Lives

A fire in a shopping mall in Zingong, China's Sichuan province, left eight dead. Emergency workers contained the blaze, rescuing 30 people. Such incidents highlight China's inadequate safety regulations.

Eight people have been killed after a fire erupted in a shopping mall in Zingong, a city in China's western province of Sichuan, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The blaze broke out at 6 pm local time on Wednesday, CNN reported.

Nearly 300 emergency workers and dozens of vehicles were dispatched from the local fire department. The blaze was extinguished by 8.20 p.m. local time, according to CNN. Rescue operations pulled 30 people from the site, though the actual number of those trapped remains unclear.

These types of incidents are not uncommon in China, a country with often inadequate safety regulations and law enforcement, CNN noted. Earlier in January, a fire in a mixed-use building in southeastern China claimed 39 lives and injured nine others. Just days prior, another blaze in the dormitory of a boarding school in Henan province resulted in the deaths of 13 children. (ANI)