A huge fire on Friday, September 16, engulfed a skyscraper reportedly housing China Telecom in the city of Changsha, according to Chinese state media, with hundreds believed to be burnt to death.
According to reports, the total number of fatalities isn’t known yet but videos shared on social media shows dozens of floors burning highlighting the extent of the catastrophe.
“Thick smoke is spewing from the site, and several dozen floors are burning ferociously,” Chinese state broadcaster, CCTV reported.Local reports suggest people were evacuated from the building, which is about 200-meters high.
China Telecom is a massive, state-owned operation employing hundreds of thousands of staff. It is not known how many work at the Changsha tower and state media says the number of fatalities is not yet clear.
As at press time, the fire has been extinguished but a side of the building looks completely burned out, as thick, black smoke continues to billow into the air. Changsha is the capital of China’s Hunan province, where about 10 million people live.