Ministry of Emergency Management to guide rescues in deadly fire

A working group headed by Song Yuanming, vice-minister of the Ministry of Emergency Management, has headed to Lyuliang, Shanxi province, to guide the rescue operation following a deadly fire that has so far claimed at least 26 lives.

The fire ripped through the second floor of a five-story building of Yongju coal mine company in Lishi district at around 7 am on Thursday.

More than 60 people have been rushed to a local hospital for treatment, according to local authorities.

On receiving the report about the accident, Wang Xiangxi, minister of emergency management, devoted himself to continuous coordination for the rescue operation, said a media release from the ministry.

He ordered all-out efforts to search for the missing and also asked to mobilize medical experts promptly to minimize casualties from the accident, the release said.

It said an expert team specializing in respiratory critical care has been dispatched from the Emergency General Hospital in Beijing to provide support.

The fire has been extinguished and the investigation over the cause is still underway, it said.