A fire at a poultry slaughterhouse in north-eastern China has killed at least 55 people, with more believed to be trapped, state media reported.
The fire broke out just after dawn in Mishazi township, near Dehui in Jilin province, Xinhua news agency said.
"About 100 workers have managed to escape from the plant, whose gate was locked when the fire occurred," Xinhua said.
"The complicated interior structure of the prefabricated house in which the fire broke out and the narrow exits have added difficulties to the rescue work," it said.
The fire appeared to have been sparked by three early-morning explosions in the plant's electrical system, Xinhua said. State broadcaster CCTV quoted unidentified workers as saying the fire broke out during a change of shifts and may have originated in a locker room when about 350 workers were at the site.
The provincial fire department said on its microblog that the fire was caused by a leak of ammonia.
The death and injury toll was given by a Jilin provincial government spokesman who gave only his surname, Ma. He declined to give further details. Calls to fire and rescue services rang unanswered and hospital administrators said they had no information about injuries among the dozens of people reportedly sent for treatment.
Rescue workers found the bodies in the charred buildings, and rescue efforts were continuing. CCTV footage showed dark smoke billowing up from the cement structures.
Xinhua quoted survivors as saying that the plant's `'complicated" interior, narrow exits and a locked front gate made escape difficult.
The plant's owner, Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry, is a major producer of processed chicken and employs about 1,200 people. The plant is outside the city of Dehui, about 800 km north-east of Beijing.
Monday 3 June 2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/03/china-poultry-farm-fire
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