South China Fire Kills 12 in Underregulated Building

A fire tore through a self-built residential building in the southern Chinese city of Shantou, killing 12 people and prompting a provincial investigation into safety standards in such structures.

Fire authorities in Shantou, Guangdong province, said the blaze broke out around 9 p.m. Tuesday in the city’s Chaonan district. By Wednesday afternoon, the official death toll had risen to 12, up from an initial count of eight. The fire engulfed a four-story reinforced concrete building, burning an area of approximately 150 square meters.