Blaze at a coal mine company building in northern China kills 25 and injures dozens

BEIJING (AP) — A fire burned in a coal company building Thursday in a northern Chinese city, killing 25 people and injuring a few dozen more.

The building belongs to Yongju Coal Company and is in Lvliang city in northern Shanxi province, a major coal-producing region, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

District officials issued a statement saying rescue and emergency services were at the scene. They evacuated 63 people, though it is unclear if the 25 dead were among that figure.

By Thursday afternoon, the fire had been controlled and rescue work was ongoing, the local fire department told CCTV. Those injured were being treated in the hospital.

The blaze appeared to have started in a building with offices and dormitories and not where coal was being mined.

Coal mine accidents are not uncommon in China, though the government has been working on improving safety.

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AP researcher Wanqing Chen in Beijing contributed to this report.