Fire at China coal firm office kills 26

BEIJING - The Associated Press

A fire erupted in a coal company building in a northern Chinese city on Nov. 15, killing 26 people and injuring dozens of others, state media said.

Rescue personnel evacuated 70 people and took 63 others to a hospital, according to state media.

The dead were almost all workers, according to local media outlet Fengmian News.

The fire was under control and rescue work was continuing on Thursday afternoon, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The building belongs to Yongju Coal Company and is in Lvliang city in northern Shanxi province, a major coal-producing region, CCTV said.

The fire appeared to have started in the shower area of a building with offices and dormitories, local news outlet Hongxing News said.

Coal mine accidents have been relatively common in China, though the government has been working on improving safety.

Shanxi is China's top coal-producing province and is at the center of government efforts to reduce the economy's reliance on coal.