Sixteen people lost their lives in a department store fire in Sichuan province, southwest China, on Wednesday evening, as reported by state media on Thursday.

The blaze occurred in a 14-story building in Zigong’s high-tech zone, blanketing the area in dense smoke, according to the Xinhua news agency.

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Rescue efforts concluded at 3:00 a.m. (1900 GMT Wednesday), state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Initial investigations indicated that the fire resulted from construction activities. Further investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause.