Residential building fire kills 5 in Xi'an

XI'AN -- Five people were killed in a fire at a residential building on Thursday afternoon in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, local authorities said.

The fire broke out at 1:21 p.m. in a high-rise residential building in Weiyang District, Xi'an. It was extinguished at 1:50 p.m., according to the municipal fire and rescue department.

Firefighters arrived at the building shortly after the blaze began. Eight people who had been trapped were found, with five now confirmed dead and three with stable vital signs.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.