Chinese investigators suspect construction work sparked a fire that caused 16 deaths in a shopping mall in the southwestern city of Zigong. The fire broke out around 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, state media reported. The 14-story commercial building was evacuated, with 75 people led to safety, according to the official news agency Xinhua. Fire hazards remain a problem in China, which has reported 947 fire fatalities so far this year, up 19% from the same period of the previous year, said Li Wanfeng, a spokesperson for the National Fire and Rescue Administration.
