17 perish as inferno razes illegal plant

BEIJING - Seventeen migrant workers died when a fire swept through an illegal garment factory and accommodation above in a four-floor building in a southern Beijing suburb on Monday morning, local authorities said.

The fire broke out at around 1 am in the Jiugong township of Daxing district, killing the 17 and injuring 24, said Chang Hongyan, deputy head of the district government.

He added that the initial investigation suggests the fire started on the ground floor, which was being used as an unlicensed garment workshop, and spread to the floors above where workers slept.