Fire tears through 40-storey tower in China, killing 14 people
At least 14 people were killed and 38 taken to hospital after a fire swept through a 40-storey building in Taiyuan, northern China, on Sunday, 8 November.
The blaze broke out at 4:59 p.m. local time at Haosheng International Apartment, a residential and commercial tower in the centre of Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province.
The building housed apartments, a hotel and children’s education centres, according to the SCMP. It stands in a busy district surrounded by schools, hospitals, shopping areas and tourist attractions.
🇨🇳 Deadly high-rise fire in Taiyuan, China, leaves 14 people dead. Footage shows two people trapped at a window, calling for help as flames and thick smoke engulf the Howard Johnson International Apartments in Shanxi Province. A survivor alleged that hotel guests received no warning and that the building’s fire suppression system failed to spray water.
— KOSO🇳🇬 (@KosoNwa1) November 9, 2026
Firefighters battle blaze as death toll rises
Footage circulating online showed thick black smoke pouring from the tower as flames spread across several floors. Firefighters used elevated platforms and cranes to tackle the blaze from outside the building.
Emergency crews brought the fire under control at around 7 p.m., roughly two hours after it started. Search and rescue operations ended at 8:30 p.m.
Five deaths had been confirmed by Sunday night, but the toll rose to 14 the following morning. By Monday afternoon, 25 people remained in hospital, including nine with serious injuries.
Authorities have not established how the blaze began. The Yingze district government said an investigation was underway while medical teams continued treating those injured.
The fire is the second major high-rise disaster reported in Taiyuan this year. Another blaze in the city’s Xiaodian district in March killed three people and injured 23 others.
