Watch: Massive fire consumes Chinese skyscraper

High-rise office bloc goes up in flames in southern city of Changsha.

A major blaze has engulfed a 218m-tall skyscraper that houses the offices of China Telecom in the city of Changsha in southern China, spreading over several dozen floors. No casualties have been reported so far.

“Thick smoke is spewing from the site, and several dozen floors are burning ferociously,” CCTV reported, adding that firefighters have started extinguishing the flames and conducting rescue operations.

According to the local fire department, 36 fire trucks and 280 firefighters were deployed at the site. Preliminary data indicates that it was the outer wall of the building that caught fire.

The videos posted on social media show flames searing through the building and huge clouds of smoke rising into the sky. The exact reason for the blaze is currently unknown.

“At present, the open fire has been extinguished, and no casualties have been found,” authorities added.

The telecom tower was built in 2000 and became the first building in the city exceeding the height of 200m.