2 firefighters killed in warehouse collapse in China

Beijing: At least two firefighters were killed and 11 others injured in a warehouse collapse while trying to put out a fire in China's northeast Heilongjiang Province.

The fire burnt down the third floor of a warehouse at the Beifangnanxun ceramics market in Harbin city at about 10 pm last night, burying the firemen on the second floor.

The 11 injured firemen were rushed to hospital. The condition of three of them was stated to be critical.

At least one fire fighter remained buried at the collapse site, Song Xibin, the city mayor was quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency as saying.

He said that rescue operations were on.

The warehouse is part of a 11-storeyed residential building. The first three floors were being used as warehouses.

The fire is yet to be put out. The residents living nearby have been evacuated, the report said.

Meanwhile, in another incident 11 workers were trapped in a rooftop and scaffold collapse incident in central China's Hunan Province yesterday.

The collapse occurred at around 5:10 pm when workers were finishing construction work at a machine repair workshop of a local non-ferrous metal company in Chenzhou city.

Five workers were rescued and rushed to hospital immediately.

Rescue work is underway.