CHANGCHUN -- Seven people will face criminal charges over a shopping mall fire in northeast China's Jilin Province that left 19 dead last November, the local prosecution agency said Tuesday.

A fire broke out at Jilin Commercial Building in the city of Jilin in Jilin Province on November 5 last year, leaving 19 dead and 27 injured in the country's worst fire since 2009.

The Chuanying District People's Procuratorate said it has brought criminal charges against the general manager, a deputy general manager and five other company staff of Jilin Commercial Building.

The seven were charged with having no sufficient fire-fighting equipment in place and failing to report the fire in a timely manner, the procuratorate said in a statement.

Some exterior advertising plates blocking the shopping mall windows and power problems also hampered the rescue operation, it said.