Picture used for illustrative purposes only.

Gulf Today Report

Thirty-nine people were killed, and nine others injured after a building fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in the city of Xinyu in east China's Jiangxi Province, local authorities said.

The fire broke out from a street shop in the Yushui District of Xinyu, said the local fire response emergency headquarters, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The rescue operations concluded with no remaining people trapped. Among the injured, eight are in stable condition, while another one is being rescued.

Twelve people have been taken into police custody for their alleged role in a deadly fire in central China's Jiangxi province, state media said on Thursday.

President Xi Jinping called for "deep reflection" after the fire and greater efforts to "curb the frequent occurrence of safety accidents".

Citing local authorities, state news agency Xinhua reported that the cause of the blaze had been the "illegal" use of fire by workers in the store's basement.

"Heavy smoke soon engulfed the first and second floor, trapping students at training facilities there and people in a hotel," Xinhua quoted the city's mayor Xu Hong as saying.

Twelve people have been taken into custody and are under investigation by police for their alleged role in the fire, Xinhua said.

Wednesday's fire came just days after a late-evening blaze at a school in central China's Henan province killed 13 students.

And in November, 26 people were killed and dozens were sent to hospital after a fire at a coal company office in northern China's Shanxi province.