China market fire kills two, injures one

WUHAN, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Two people have been confirmed dead and one was injured in a market fire Wednesday in central China's Hubei Province, local authorities said.

The fire, breaking out around 2:20 p.m. at the Zhangwan Farmers Market in Zhangwan District in the city of Shiyan, was extinguished two hours later. It engulfed an area of more than 8,000 square meters, said an official with the district's work safety bureau.

Firefighters have found two bodies by 10 p.m. and they are still clearing the debris to establish if there are more casualties.

An initial investigation found that the fire was triggered when a stall owner used a flame spray gun to clear pig hairs to prepare dishes.

We Recommend:
Dream of fly into the blue sky in photos	Winter overstays its welcome in Beijing	China’s weekly story (2013.3.16-3.22)
Old photos: Getting married in 1950s	A five-year-old boy to save his sister	The toughest roads to school
A Russian's affectionate bond with Harbin	A Day of Song Juan, forgotten angel in photos	Five-year jail for serial killer's girlfriend