Firemen work to put out a fire in a high-rise building in Harbin, provincial capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Thursday, October 9, 2008. [Photo: Xinhua]
Firemen rescued 61 people from a high-rise building fire on Thursday afternoon in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. No deaths were reported.
The blaze was initially believed to have broken out at around 4 p.m. on the third floor of the "Jingwei360" building in the provincial capital Harbin. The 99.8-meter-high structure had 29 floors, including one underground.
Most of the rescued were construction workers in the building. They were decorating apartments when the fire broke out.
At least eight of those rescued showed slight symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. They were receiving treatment in two hospitals. Doctors said they were in no danger.
One worker suffered burns to his upper respiratory system. He was receiving treatment in the Nangang branch of Heilongjiang Hospital.
Authorities didn't provide the number of people hospitalized when asked by Xinhua.
The fire spread to other floors and was put out at 7 p.m.
"The construction has almost been completed," said a worker at the building. He said he was dumping garbage in the first floor when he saw smoke.
The cause of the blaze was still being investigated.
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