Overview
- State media said the fire broke out at 9:20 p.m. on Dec. 9 in a four‑storey building in Shantou, Guangdong province.
- The blaze was extinguished in about 40 minutes, and local authorities have opened an investigation into its cause.
- Roughly 150 square metres were affected, and Chinese reports said the ground floor housed an appliances and electrical goods store.
- The incident follows a catastrophic Hong Kong high‑rise fire whose death toll reached 160 on Dec. 9.
- China ordered nationwide checks of high‑rise fire safety in November, and the Shantou case is being scrutinized under that drive.