The Peking University Gymnasium, the table tennis venue for the 2008 Olympic Games, caught fire at around 8 am yesterday but there were no casualties, a witness told China Daily.

"The fire was brought under control after about an hour," an official with the Beijing Fire Brigade was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying.

The news agency reported that the fire was ignited by "improper practices" in the construction work but provided no details.

The 26,900-sq-m building, located in the northwest of the city, is scheduled to hold a test event in December.

Officials from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Project Construction Headquarters, which is in charge of the construction of all Games venues, refused to say whether the fire would affect the test event. They added that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

According to the fire brigade, the fire swept 1,000 sq m and the western part of the building's roof was destroyed.

A spokesman for the brigade told Xinhua that they received an emergency call at 8:14 am, and rushed 17 fire engines to the site.

"The fire broke out in the southwestern corner of the gym. It destroyed some heat preservation material on the outside of the gym, but did not impact the girders and the main structure," a Peking University spokesman told Xinhua.

"We do not think the test events to be held here in December will be affected," the spokesman said. "Classes and student life are continuing normally."

The venue is one of 11 being built for the Games. Construction started in September 2005, and is designed to hold 8,000 spectators. It was originally scheduled for completion next month.

(China Daily 07/03/2007 page1)