Fire in Hebei kills 11, investigation underway

A fire that occurred on Monday at a cold storage facility in Cangxian county of Cangzhou, Hebei province killed 11 people, according to the county government.

The abandoned facility caught fire while being demolished at Dongcun village, Cui'erzhuang town at around 2:30 pm, the government said in a statement published on Tuesday.

By 11 pm on Monday, the fire had been completely extinguished and 11 people were found to have perished.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

"Safety in production and fire safety should be thoroughly investigated across the province to uncover hidden dangers and risks," Ni Yuefeng, secretary of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said during a video meeting held on Tuesday.

Major fields for the inspection include mining, construction, transportation and tourism.

"We will severely punish violations in accordance with the law, and thoroughly address major problems and hidden dangers," he said.