At least 15 people were killed and 44 injured in a fire at a residential building in the mainland city of Nanjing, local authorities said on Saturday.
According to the report, the fire broke out early on Friday morning, officials said at a press conference, with a preliminary investigation suggesting the blaze started on the building's first floor - which usually equates to the ground floor in Hong Kong - where electric bikes had been placed.
The building is located in the Yuhuatai district of Nanjing, a city of more than eight million that lies about 260 kilometres northwest of Shanghai.
By 6 am, the fire had been extinguished, and a search and rescue operation ended around 2 pm on Friday, authorities said.
Twenty-five fire trucks were mobilised to fight the blaze, emergency services said.
Footage circulating on Chinese social networks showed a skyscraper on fire in the middle of the night, with black smoke pouring from it.
Other images show gigantic flames consuming several floors of the building, the flashing lights of emergency vehicles visible nearby in the dark.
Additional footage, apparently taken later, shows white smoke pouring from several points in the building.
The 44 injured people were sent to hospital for treatment, officials said, adding one was in "critical condition" while another was seriously injured.
At a press conference, city mayor Chen Zhichang offered his condolences and apologies to the victims' families.
中國南京住宅區一棟大樓發生火災，至少15人死亡
地方當局週六表示，中國大陸城市南京市一棟住宅樓發生火災，已造成至少 15 人死亡、44 人受傷。
官員在新聞發布會上表示，火災於週五凌晨發生，初步調查顯示，火災始於大樓一樓（通常相當於香港的底層），那裡放置了電動自行車。
該建築位於南京雨花台區，人口超過 800 萬的城市位於上海西北方約 260 公里處。
當局表示，截至凌晨 6 點，大火已被撲滅，搜救行動於週五下午 2 點左右結束。
緊急服務部門表示，出動了二十五輛消防車滅火。
中國社群網路上流傳的影片顯示，一座摩天大樓在半夜起火，冒出黑煙。
其他影像顯示巨大的火焰吞噬了建築物的幾層樓，在黑暗中可以看到附近緊急車輛的閃爍燈光。
顯然是後來拍攝的額外鏡頭顯示，白煙從建築物的幾個地方湧出。
官員稱，44名傷者已被送往醫院接受治療，其中一人傷勢“危急”，另一人傷勢嚴重。
市長陳志昌在記者會上向罹難者家屬表示哀悼和歉意。 （法新社）
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