Apartment building fire in China's Shanxi province kills 14

A fire that broke out in an apartment building in northern China killed at least 14 people, state media said on Monday (Nov 9), raising the death toll from the previous night.



Deadly fires are relatively common in China due to lax building codes and an often slipshod approach to workplace safety.



The blaze occurred in a building in Shanxi province's Taiyuan city around 5pm on Sunday, the official Xinhua news agency said that evening.



"A total of 38 people were sent to hospitals for treatment, among whom five have died," Xinhua reported, raising the death toll to 14 on Monday morning.



The flames were extinguished on Sunday, with search and rescue efforts completed, it said.



The cause of the fire is still under investigation.