China ceramics plant fire kills 15

BEIJING, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- At least 15 people died and one person was seriously injured in a fire at a ceramics plant in south China's Guangdong Province, authorities said.

The fire Tuesday morning engulfed a four-story concrete building housing the Shengfeng Ceramics Co. in Sanshui District in the city of Foshan, China Daily reported, quoting a fire official.

Twelve of those killed died at the scene while two others died after jumping from the building, the official said. One of the victims died in a hospital.

The fire official said the blaze started on the second floor and quickly spread to other floors.

The cause has not yet been determined but the official said the building had a poor fire alarm system and there were flammable interior decoration materials inside.

More than 100 firefighters and 24 fire trucks fought the blaze for two hours before bringing it under control.