Overview
- The blaze erupted around 9:20 p.m. Tuesday in Chaonan district and was brought under control in about 40 minutes, according to Xinhua.
- Authorities said the fire burned roughly 150 square metres inside a four-storey, self-built reinforced concrete residence.
- Local reports said the ground floor had been converted into a shop selling household appliances and electrical equipment.
- Guangdong province set up a multi-agency task force including police, emergency managers and disciplinary inspectors to investigate the cause and potential lapses.
- The incident comes weeks after Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po blaze, as Beijing’s work safety committee leads a campaign to identify and rectify risks in high-rise and mixed-use buildings.