A shopping center in the city of Zigong in China's southwestern Sichuan province caught fire on Wednesday afternoon.
Several people were trapped inside the building and rescue workers struggled to get them out.
The fire was extinguished relatively quickly – but at least 16 people have been confirmed dead, reports state-owned Chinese media. 75 people were rescued from the 14-story building.
Fires occur relatively frequently in China, which has reported 947 deadly fires during the first five months of the year. According to a spokesperson for the country's fire and rescue authority, the number of fires in public places such as hotels and restaurants has increased. It is often electrical or gas faults that cause the fires, as well as negligence, according to the spokesperson.
