A fire at a factory in central China has killed 38 people. As the state news agency Xinhua reported, the fire broke out in the city of Anyang in Henan province on Monday and was extinguished by the evening. Initially, there was talk of 36 fatalities and two missing people. It was later said that 38 people had died.

No information was initially given about the cause of the fire. It was also unclear what kind of factory it was. Two people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, state media reports said. More than 200 rescue workers and 60 firefighters were deployed.

Industrial accidents happen again and again in China

The disaster brings back memories of a similar major fire in October 2007, when a fire at an illegal shoe factory in Hushi Village, southeast China's Fujian Province, killed dozens. Many other workers were injured. The barred windows became a death trap for many. The police later arrested the owner of the factory.

The number of victims was even higher in 2015, when a series of massive explosions at a hazardous goods warehouse in the port city of Tianjin killed 173 people, including many firefighters.

Devastating fires and industrial accidents occur in China time and again, which can be traced back to negligence and non-compliance with safety regulations. There was also a factory fire in Henan in 2018 that killed eleven people. House fires with serious consequences are also not uncommon in China. Five years ago, 19 people died in such a fire in Beijing.