Fire kills 10 in north China port city

Google Maps

BEIJING – Ten people died and five others were injured in an early Friday fire at a northern Chinese port city where scores were killed in an explosion two years ago.

The fire department in Tianjin said the blaze broke out around 4 a.m. in a mixed residential-office building, and was extinguished in less than three hours. It said the cause was unknown but that one individual is being held as part of the investigation.

The official Xinhua News Agency said materials used for interior decoration are believed to have contributed to the blaze.

In 2015, an explosion traced to improperly stored chemicals killed at least 173 people in Tianjin, which lies on the Bohai Sea coast about an hour east of Beijing.

China suffers frequent deadly fires and industrial accidents, often blamed on negligence.

Official safety crackdowns have improved conditions in some areas, but many companies still cut corners.          /kga