The fire started on the 28th floor after an alleged gas blast. - Photo: Weibo
BEIJING: A powerful blast rocked a residential high-rise building in an affluent area in southern China's city of Shenzhen on Wednesday (Dec 11), sending shockwaves through nearby skyscrapers, state media reported.
The Shenzhen fire brigade said it had dispatched 16 fire trucks and 80 rescue personnel after receiving a report of the emergency at the compound.
A video posted by broadcaster Phoenix TV showed flames engulfing part of the building's exterior, with dense smoke billowing into the air.
"Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the table shook," a 30-year-old man surnamed Zhang who worked at a nearby office building told Reuters.
According to state media The Beijing News, a preliminary investigation showed that a gas explosion on the 28th floor of the building caused the fire, while the exact cause of the explosion was still being investigated.
At least one person fell off the building after the explosion and was taken away by ambulance, the report said.
The blast occurred in a high-end condo in an area where headquarters of major companies including Tencent are located.
Further details of the situation were being verified, state broadcaster CCTV said. - Reuters
