A devastating fire erupted in a four-storey residential building in Shantou, a coastal city in southern China’s Guangdong province, on Tuesday evening, December 9, 2025, resulting in the deaths of 12 people. State news agency Xinhua reported the incident on Wednesday, December 10, noting that the blaze started around 9:20 pm local time and was brought under control approximately 40 minutes later by firefighters.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire, which occurred in the Chaonan District. This tragedy comes amid heightened scrutiny of fire safety in China, following a massive deadly blaze in Hong Kong last month that killed over 150 people in a high-rise complex, prompting national directives to strengthen residential safety measures and inspections of multi-storey buildings.

In recent years, China has seen several fatal fires, including one in April 2025 at a nursing home in Hebei province that claimed 20 lives. Officials have emphasized the need for improved fire prevention in residential areas.