Dec 08, (V7N) - A tragic fire at a construction site in Rongcheng city, Shandong province, eastern China, claimed nine lives on Saturday. The blaze started around 1:00 pm local time (0500 GMT) when insulation materials caught fire at an unfinished warehouse, according to the local emergency management bureau.

Initially, authorities reported nine people missing while firefighting and rescue operations were underway. On Sunday, officials confirmed that all nine individuals had been found with no vital signs. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This incident is a grim reminder of the recurring safety lapses in China, where fires often result from inadequate building codes and insufficient workplace safety measures.

Recent deadly incidents include a shopping center fire in Zigong in July that killed 16 people and an October blaze in Chengdu that left 24 hospitalized due to breathing difficulties. These tragedies underscore the urgent need for stricter enforcement of safety standards across construction and industrial sites in the country.

END/WD/RH/