Two more bodies were recovered from the debris of a shopping and office complex destroyed by fire in northwestern China on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to five.

 

Rescuers pulled out two scorched bodies at about 6 PM while searching through the remains of the 12-story building, according to Zhang Hong, standing vice mayor of Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

 

Experts are still trying to identify the two victims.

 

The fire, which raged through the Doowin International Plaza in Urumqi for more than 20 hours, left three firemen dead, one injured and two employees of the plaza missing.

 

Dai Yiqiang, deputy director of the Urumqi fire control bureau, believes the two bodies probably belonged to the missing workers.

 

The building, which housed some 2,000 items of clothing, cosmetics, toys, and many offices, will be dismantled as soon as the investigation process is over, said Zhang.

 

Top managers with the Doowin group, the parent company of the plaza, have been requested to remain in the city for investigation, and the property and accounts of the building have been frozen, according to local police.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2008)