Eighteen people died in a fire at a food packaging plant in China, state media said Monday, the latest accident in a country blighted by poor industrial safety standards. The blaze happened Sunday evening at a carrot packaging workshop belonging to Longyuan Food Co in Shougang in the eastern Shandong province, Xinhua news agency said, citing local officials.
"The fire engulfed 100 metres of workshop in less than a minute," Liu Fangping told the news agency. "Some workmates and I responded quickly and escaped through the windows, but many who did not move fast enough were overcome by the heavy smoke," the migrant worker from north-west China's Gansu Province added. The fire broke out at 7 pm (1100 GMT) and was extinguished by about 9:30 pm, the Xinhua report said.
Thirteen people are being treated for injuries, including two who are in a serious condition, one life-threatening, it added. "The results of preliminary investigations show that 140 people were in the building at the time, and the blaze was caused by a faulty freezer," the report said.
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