BEIJING: Flames and black smoke could be seen rising from afar after a massive fire broke out on Friday at the 42-story building of the country’s largest telecom operator in central China. Officials said that no casualties have been reported so far. Dozens of floors of the China Telecom building in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, were gutted.
The city’s fire department says it sent 280 firefighters to the scene, who quickly doused the fire that broke out in the 720-foot-tall building. China Telecom said in a statement that no casualties were yet reported.
The company said there was no disruption in cellphone (mobile) service, but people on social media have complained that they are unable to use their phones.
In the video of the incident, a part of the building is seen in black while debris is seen lying on the ground. Other videos that surfaced in local media showed relief workers escorting people out of the building safely. The cause of the fire is not immediately known.
36 vehicles of the fire brigade reached the spot
According to the South China Morning Post, the fire broke out in the building at 3.48 PM local time. 36 vehicles of the fire brigade are involved in extinguishing the fire. More than 280 fire brigade personnel have been dispatched from 17 fire stations for relief and rescue operations. The fire has been burning continuously till 5 o’clock. No death has been reported so far.
218 meters high building
Due to the size of the building, the horrific fire can be seen from several kilometers away. This building was completed in the year 2000. When it was built, it was the tallest building in Changsha city of its time. Its height was 218 meters. It has 42 floors above ground. Along with this, there are also two underground floors.
