Major fire engulfs skyscraper in Changsha, central China

A fire engulfed a skyscraper in the central Chinese city of Changsha, with authorities saying that no casualties had yet been found.

The blaze broke out in a 42-floor building housing an office of the state-owned telecommunications company China Telecom, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.

An initial photograph released by CCTV showed orange flames searing through the building in a built-up area of the city as black smoke billowed into the sky.

A later image shared on social media appeared to show that the flames had subsided, as emergency personnel sprayed jets of water on to its charred facade.

A video shared on social media appeared to show dozens of people fleeing the building as flaming debris fell from the upper floors. AFP was not immediately able to verify the footage.

Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, has a population of about 10 million.

The 218-metre (715ft) building, completed in 2000, is located near a major ring road, according to CCTV.

Deadly fires are common in China, where lax enforcement of building codes and rampant unauthorised construction can make it difficult for people to flee burning buildings.

In July last year, a warehouse fire in north-eastern Jilin province killed at least 15 people and injured at least 25, according to state media reports.