BEIJING — A fire at a building advertising low-cost rental apartments in a southern Beijing suburb killed 19 people and injured eight others, official media reported Sunday. Firefighters put out the fire at Xinjian Village in the district of Daxing by 9 p.m. Saturday, three hours after it was reported, Xinhua News Agency said. Photos released by Xinhua showed firefighters outside a two-story concrete building with a red signboard advertising units with attached bathrooms, hot water, kitchens, heating and other basic amenities. Such units are commonly rented cheaply to migrant workers who take on low-paying, labour-intensive jobs in the city. Independent reports by some Chinese news outlets were taken down and replaced by Xinhua’s report, which included few details.

Source: National Post November 19, 2017 01:30 UTC