CHENGDU, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the department store fire in Zigong City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, has risen to 16 as of around 3 a.m. on Thursday, according to the local fire and rescue headquarters.
The fire in the 14-story building, located in a high-tech zone in the city, was reported at approximately 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and there was a significant amount of thick smoke at the scene. ■
