Beijing, September 16: A massive fire sent flames and black smoke pouring Friday from a 42-storey skyscraper in central China belonging to the country's largest telecoms operator, but no casualties were reported, officials said. Dozens of floors burned in the China Telecom building in the city of Changsha, the capital of central Hunan province. The city's fire department said it sent 280 firefighters who were able to quickly extinguish the blaze on the 218-metre (720-foot) building.

No injuries or deaths have been reported, China Telecom said in a statement. It said there was no disruption to cellphone service, but social media users complained of being unable to use their phones. Video: Massive Fire Engulfs High-Rise Building in China’s Changsha, No Victims Reported So Far.

Photos and Videos: Massive Fire Engulfs Skyscraper in China's Changsha City

 

Videos of the blaze showed one side of the building scorched black, with debris falling to the ground. Other videos from local media showed workers inside managing to evacuate the building. There was no immediate information on the cause of the blaze.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)