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Wendy Wu

Nine people were killed in a fire at a cold storage in China’s eastern province of Shandong, state media reported on Sunday.
Thermal insulation materials caught on fire around midday on Saturday at the cold chain storage facility under construction in the city of Rongcheng, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The nine people who died at the site were discovered on Sunday morning. An investigation is under way.
Safety hazards generally spike in the dry winter season, also a peak time for industrial production, the Ministry of Emergency Management warned in late October. It cited past accidents in sectors including road transport, fishing vessel operation and the storage of hazardous chemicals.
Cold storage buildings are usually large with high walls and few safety exits, which create conditions for the accumulation of flammable and explosive gases, the ministry said on its social media page on Sunday.
Foam plastic is commonly used as insulation material in cold storage warehouses, but it is flammable and produces a large amount of toxic smoke when burned, it added.
According to local media, the construction of the cold storage area was listed among the major programmes for Rongcheng last year, with plans to build a three-storey facility with a floor area of 15,070 square metres (162,212 sq ft).
Rongcheng is administered by the port city of Weihai, which was listed as a major national cold-chain logistics hub in 2022.
Figures cited by local media show Weihai has invested 1.06 billion yuan (US$146 million) in building four cold-chain bases since last year, as part of its plan to create a complete marine industry supply chain covering distant water fishing, marine farming, cold storage and deep processing.


Saturday’s was the latest building-related tragedy to hit China this year.
In July, a fire caused by construction work killed 16 people at a shopping centre in Zigong, Sichuan province.
On Friday, authorities in northeastern Jilin province said six people had been detained over the collapse of a roof at an ice rink last month, with investigators blaming poor engineering.
The roof collapsed on the five-year-old building in the morning before the rink was due to open for the day on November 18.


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9 killed in fire at cold storage facility in eastern China

The fire is reported to have started around midday on Saturday at the facility in Rongcheng city, Shandong province. Photo: X/ ying tang

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The roof of the ice rink in Baicheng, Jilin province, collapsed on November 18.Photo: Weibo

The roof caved in before the rink was due to open for the day on November 18. Photo: Weibo

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The collapsed ground at a Shenzhen building site where 13 workers went missing. Photo: Xinhua

An aerial view of the devastated construction site in Shenzhen where rescuers are frantically searching for 13 missing people. Photo: Xinhua

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Thermal insulation materials ignite, sparking the blaze at warehouse under construction, state media says


Thermal insulation materials ignite, sparking the blaze at warehouse under construction, state media says.


9 killed in fire at cold storage facility in eastern China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Thermal insulation materials ignite, sparking the blaze at warehouse under construction, state media says

Thermal insulation materials ignite, sparking the blaze at warehouse under construction, state media says