A fire broke out at a store in the central Chinese province of Jiangxi, killing at least 39 people and leaving several others injured.
"At 3:24 pm (0724 GMT) on January 24, a fire broke out on the below-ground level of a store... in Xinyu, Jiangxi," the country's state broadcaster CCTV reported.
"Up until now, the accident has resulted in the death of 39 people, injuries to nine people, and others are still trapped," state broadcaster CCTV reported just after 8:00 pm local time (1200 GMT).
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The report did not indicate the exact source of the fire or the number of people remaining in danger.
Following the incident, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a statement calling for "resolute containment" of deadly mishaps.
Mr. Xi "issued important instructions... requiring resolute containment of the frequent occurrence of various safety accidents to ensure the security of people's lives and property and overall social stability" , as reported by CCTV.
CCTV footage from the incident showed multiple fire trucks and other emergency response vehicles parked across the street from a row of businesses.
The government-run broadcaster released footage of the scene on social media. The Paper depicted massive clouds of smoke pouring into the sky as spectators watched from afar.
Emergency reaction vehicles could be spotted nearby, and security personnel warned onlookers not to get any closer.
Fires and other deadly mishaps are widespread in China due to inadequate safety standards and poor implementation of legislation.
Wednesday's event occurred just five days after a late-night fire at a school in central China's Henan province killed 13.
In November, a fire at a coal company office in northern China's Shanxi province killed 26 people and hospitalized scores more.
