A fire has killed 38 people at a company dealing in chemicals and other industrial goods in central China’s Henan province.
Two other people were injured, the local government in part of Anyang city, said in a statement Tuesday.
The fire took firefighters about three and a half hours to bring under control, the Wenfang district government said.
![Rescuers use a ladder to climb into the remains of a fire at an industrial wholesaler in Anyang in central China's Henan province. Photo / AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/7JPQRXHF7ZBRTLR2LYSUPEO7JU.jpg?auth=671333a30024b36cd03677ce994d97734cf1101cce217ebb73df2db75d6265a2&width=16&height=10&quality=70&smart=true)
No word was given on the cause of the fire or how so many employees were killed, although China has a history of industrial accidents caused by lax regard for safety measures fuelled by rising competition and abetted by corruption among officials. Poor storage conditions, locked exits and a lack of firefighting equipment are often cited as direct causes.