At least 8 people died and 15 were injured in a market fire in northern China News

Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a busy market in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province.

At least 8 people died and 15 were injured as a result of a fire in a market in Hebei province in the north of China.

A fire broke out at Liguang Market in Hebei’s Zhangjiakou city at noon local time (04:00 GMT) on Saturday and was mostly extinguished two hours later, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing a government official in Qiaoxi District, where the market is located. is located.

“The injured have been sent to the hospital for treatment and are currently out of danger,” state broadcaster CCTV said after the fire.

CCTV said authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

Videos posted on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo showed huge billows of dark smoke hanging over the market, along with huge flames.

The company’s information provider, Qichacha, said the Liguang vegetable market opened in 2011 and sells products ranging from fruits and seafood to electronics.

Such traditional markets are often crowded with shoppers looking for lower prices than in supermarket chains.

Zhangjiakou hosted events during the 2022 Winter Olympics.